Latest news with #Finebaum
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Paul Finebaum makes bold Arch Manning-Tim Tebow comparison
Arch Manning may have to carry more than the weight of his last name next season. On Tuesday morning's edition of ESPN's 'Get Up,' Paul Finebaum put even more lofty praise on the Texas redshirt sophomore quarterback. When Finebaum was asked what the expectations for the Longhorns and Manning should be, he set a high bar. 3 ESPN's Paul Finebaum Richard Ducree 'The absolute roof. I think there's a reasonably good chance that Arch Manning will be sitting on the front row in New York at the Heisman ceremony,' Finebaum replied. 'That's assuming that his team does what it's supposed to do and compete not only for the SEC, but for the national championship, and I really believe they will.' Finebaum also believes that if head coach Steve Sarkisian had brought in Manning during the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Ohio State last season, the Longhorns would be hoisting the trophy instead of the Buckeyes. But then Finebaum capped off his expectations by saying Manning might be the best quarterback since a certain phenom. 'I believe, also, that Arch Manning is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006,' Finebaum said. 3 Texas quarterback Arch Manning Getty Images During his time in college, Tebow was unstoppable. In his four years at the collegiate level, he had 9,285 passing yards and 88 touchdowns through the air. He also helped Florida to two national championships. Manning was good in the limited action he appeared in last season, passing for 939 yards and nine touchdowns, filling in for starter Quinn Ewers. But even with those numbers, at the moment, it seems like a far cry to expect him to match anything that Tebow did. 3 Tim Tebow during his time with the Florida Gators. Getty Images But no matter what happens during the season, good or bad, it is a sure thing that the media will be swarming the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. Texas sits at the No. 1 spot on ESPN's preseason power rankings. Manning and the Longhorns look to back up that ranking and make a run at the championship this season.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Finebaum Names the Best College Football QB He's Seen Since Tim Tebow
Paul Finebaum Names the Best College Football QB He's Seen Since Tim Tebow originally appeared on Athlon Sports. From 2006 to 2009, while playing for the Florida Gators, quarterback Tim Tebow showed he was one of the best players in college football. Advertisement He won a Heisman Trophy in 2007, earned the Maxwell Award in 2007 and 2008 while leading the Gators to a national championship win in 2008 and serving as a backup for another in 2006. That's a lot of achievements, and during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," analyst Paul Finebaum named one quarterback who could be just as great. "Arch Manning is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006," Finebaum said. That's a lot of pressure for Manning to face, especially considering that this will be his first year serving as the Texas Longhorns' full-time starter after sitting for two seasons behind Quinn Ewers. Advertisement However, Finebaum's comments align with some of the many high expectations attached to the 21-year-old entering the 2025 season, as ESPN BET gives him the highest odds (+600) of winning the Heisman Trophy. Last year, Manning got his first real taste of playing time for the Longhorns, appearing in 10 games, completing 61 of 90 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions, accompanied by 108 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Those totals will need to rapidly increase for Finebaum's comparison to Tebow to hold up, as Tebow completed 234 of 350 passes for 3,286 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns in his Heisman-winning season. Advertisement Manning will certainly be tested early on as Texas takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes, who last season were No. 1 in points per game allowed (12.9) and yards per game allowed (254.6), for a Week 1 matchup on Aug. 30. Related: Ohio State Predicted to Lose Elite 5-Star Recruit to SEC Powerhouse This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Finebaum says Alabama, Kalen DeBoer sending a 'signal' to rest of college football
ESPN and SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum is impressed by the recent run in recruiting by the Alabama Crimson Tide and second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. Finebaum made his weekly appearance on "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning" on Birmingham's WJOX-FM Monday and said that DeBoer and his staff were recruiting at the levels Alabama once enjoyed under former coach Nick Saban. Alabama's recent recruiting tear saw the Crimson Tide close the month of June with 10 hard commitments in the class of 2026. The list includes 5-star EDGE Xavier Griffin from Gainesville, Ga., the nation's No. 1 ranked linebacker in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, as well as 4-star running back Ezavier Crowell, the No. 4 ranked running back. The Crimson Tide also got Jett Thomalla, the nation's No. 15 ranked quarterback, to flip from Iowa State. They landed the No. 7 ranked offensive tackle, Sam Utu, and No. 7 ranked tight end Mack Sutter. As a result, Alabama's 2026 class has jumped to No. 8 in 247Sports' recruiting rankings and No. 9 by On3. Alabama had already landed elite recruits from the nation's top-ranked cornerback in 5-star recruit Jorden Edmonds back in March and 4-star defensive back Zyan Gibson last December. Finebaum said Monday that DeBoer was bringing stability to the Alabama program. "Kalen DeBoer, with the addition of Ryan Grubb and finally getting the staff a little bit more to his liking, has brought continuity," he said. "That's evidenced by him retaining his players in the spring, which I think is a very big deal for that purpose, and I think it's oozing over to recruiting." Sure enough, Alabama did not a single player to the spring transfer portal after closing spring practice with its annual A-Day event back in April. 'Vintage Alabama recruiting': Finebaum says Kalen DeBoer has Crimson Tide in envious spot Finebaum continued: "Quite frankly, this is one of the great recruiting runs we've seen in some years. It almost feels like Nick Saban is running the ship again when it comes to recruiting, because this is vintage Alabama recruiting. And I think when we saw this transition (in 2024), a lot of people doubted if Alabama could come back to this particular moment in time, but it is here and I think it bodes extremely well for Alabama in the future." Co-host Greg McElroy, Alabama's starting quarterback during the 2009 national championship season and now an analyst on ABC and ESPN, noted that the Crimson Tide were still waiting on commitments from other targets in the 2026 recruiting class. One of those is in-state wide receiver Cederian Morgan of Alexander City. Morgan is set to announce a commitment Wednesday. Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Colorado are among the other finalists for the 5-star recruit. Finebaum says Alabama is sending a signal to rest of college football Finebaum added: "I think this is the most important thing and I have a feeling... to the rest of college football, this is a very annoying and irritating signal. Because based on what the new transfer from Boston College to FSU said last week and many others have said before him, Nick Saban may be gone, but Alabama is still one of the great standards of all-time in college football. And I think a lot of people forgot that, especially younger people who only knew the Nick Saban era. "Even during other coaching terms... Alabama never got hung up on the record. They knew they were Alabama, and it upset a lot of people. It came off as arrogant and cocky, but it has always been able to be backed up over the course of history. There's a reason why there's so many statues outside Bryant-Denny Stadium for coaches who have won national championships, and while recruiting is not the final arbiter in college football anymore, and we all know that and talk about that every day, it is still an incredibly important sign. "And what I'm interested in, and I will leave it to the recruiting experts because I'm not one either is, if Alabama is doing this well, it's at the expense of who? Because Alabama has been losing these battles over the last year or two. Not all of them, but they've been losing some of them. Right now, it looks like they're winning almost all of them." Alabama is still 'the brand' in college football, Paul Finebaum says Co-host Cole Cubelic wondered whether Alabama's presence on the national stage, particularly in the weekly 2:30 p.m. game on CBS for many years, was something DeBoer and the current staff could lean on in recruiting given that few other programs had enjoyed the same advantage as the Crimson Tide in terms of national exposure. Finebaum responded: "One thing about Kalen DeBoer, he is different. He tweaked things, he altered things, but he never let go of the core. I don't want to go back in ancient history, but a lot of coaches have come into Alabama and tried to break the mold. He didn't. He leaned on Nick Saban when he needed to. Saban still walks around and can be seen, not that that is helping you get a five-star recruit. "But I think a lot of people just forgot that that it is Alabama. Alabama is the brand. Alabama is the brand that has been around college football since the Rose Bowl of the 1920s. "I would laugh sometimes when I would hear young people say, 'Well, it's only Nick Saban.' That's not true. I'm not taking anything away from Saban. That's absurd... but when a recruit lands in Tuscaloosa or drives through that city and sees the sights that everybody has seen now throughout the course of history, it just resonates. And some places it doesn't. It's all about what happened recently... Alabama has always been there, and the signs right now is it looks like they're always going to be." Can Alabama stay competitive in NIL era? McElroy wondered if Alabama could still be the "alpha dog" in the new landscape of college football with NIL, given the resources of schools like Texas, Texas A&M and others. Finebaum said it remains to be seen and implied that there was "concern" among boosters. But he also said that talk of Alabama being "finished" as an elite program without Saban, who led the Crimson Tide to six national championships in his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, had been proven wrong. "The only thing that has not been proven yet is whether Alabama can sustain the financial ability like the Texas' and the A&M's and some of these other schools. I think it's one thing to get a player; it's another thing to keep him. So on that part of the card, Alabama answered that in the spring by not losing any players. I think the answer short term is yes. I think it's all a matter of how the new House settlement gets dissolved. I think that actually helps Alabama a little bit more where, while there is a lot of money at stake, it's not just open checkbook like it was six or seven weeks ago as the mad, wild rush was made to get in under the wire." Alabama football schedule 2025 Alabama will open the 2025 season against Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC. Here's the rest of the 2025 Alabama football schedule with current start times. All times Central Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football's playoff credibility
ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football's playoff credibility originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Leave it to Paul Finebaum to stir the pot before the first snap of the college football season. The ESPN analyst, never one to mince words, took aim at SMU football during a recent segment of The Paul Finebaum Show, dismissing the Mustangs' 2024 College Football Playoff berth as unearned. 'Last year, SMU got a third-place ribbon. They had no business being in the CFP,' Finebaum said bluntly. Advertisement The comment has sparked major backlash among Mustangs fans and college football insiders, especially given SMU's standout first year in the ACC. The Mustangs went 11-3, won the ACC Coastal Division, and went undefeated in regular-season conference play before narrowly falling to Clemson 30-27 in the ACC title game. Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads his team to the field before the 2024 ACC Championship game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium. :Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Created: Despite the loss, SMU secured a spot in the expanded 12-team CFP. While their postseason ended with a 38-10 loss to No. 6 Penn State, the selection committee deemed their resume strong enough, especially in a year filled with parity across the Power Four. Finebaum's critique raises a larger question: what does it really take for programs outside the traditional elite to be respected? Advertisement With a 2025 slate that includes matchups against Clemson, Louisville, and Miami, and a non-conference gauntlet featuring Baylor and TCU, SMU has a chance to prove last season wasn't a fluke. The Mustangs aren't just playing for wins this fall, they're playing for national credibility. And thanks to Finebaum, they've got bulletin board material before Week 1. If Finebaum wanted to wake a sleeping giant in Dallas, he may have just succeeded. Related: SMU Football Makes Underrated Hire After Playoff Season Related: SMU Football Faces Backlash After Team GPA Under Rhett Lashlee Surfaces This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Finebaum names national championship favorite
Paul Finebaum names national championship favorite SEC college football analyst Paul Finebaum has a clear favorite for the national championship. In an interview with Mike Greenberg on ESPN's show "Get Up", Finebaum agreed that the Texas Longhorns should be the favorites to win the 2025-26 national championship. The first reason Finebaum laid out was the Longhorns' burgeoning junior quarterback. "They have Arch Manning," said Finebaum. "He's expected to be better than Quinn Ewers, and if he'd come in in the Cotton Bowl vs. Ohio State, they may have won that game." Georgia was close to landing Arch Manning, but unfortunately, they lost out to Texas at the very end. Now, Georgia will potentially have to face Arch Manning twice in 2025. The Bulldogs host Texas in Athens, Georgia, this November. The teams could meet again in the SEC championship. Finebaum also cited the transfer portal acquisitions and the easy schedule. "They reloaded in the portal to the tune of many millions of dollars, and I think Texas, other than having to go to Ohio State Week 1, Texas is in good shape," Finebaum continued. Texas had the nation's No. 1 recruiting class and No. 25 transfer class. The Longhorns rebuilt their defensive line through the transfer portal, landing Maraad Watson, Travis Shaw, and Cole Brevard. However, the Longhorns have yet to beat Georgia while in the SEC. Georgia handed Texas two of its three losses in the 2024-25 season, including the SEC championship. The two teams will square off in Week 12 for what could be a de facto SEC championship.
