The college football season doesn’t officially kick off until this Saturday with Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Ireland. Yet, ESPN’s resident SEC carnival barker, Paul Finebaum, is already in mid-season form.
No coach is safe from Finebaum’s verbal venom, and he didn’t mince his words for Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.
What did Finebaum say about Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State on ESPN’s Get Up?
Alabama’s Dynasty ‘Was Done Before Saban Left’
Finebaum appears to be out on the DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa before it even truly got started.
The segment began with Finebaum answering whether he felt the Alabama dynasty was over. After six national championships between 2009 and 2020, Finebaum opted not to wait for the doctor to declare the death of the Rolling Tide’s college football prowess.
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“We’ve seen Georgia win twice and Michigan win once since Alabama last won a national championship,” Finebaum said. “So, yes, I would declare the dynasty done. It was done before (Nick) Saban left. It’s really done now that DeBoer is there.”
While that may have been the splashiest of Finebaum’s vitriol, it was just the tip of the spear in a segment riddled with ridicule for some of the game’s most recognizable coaches.
Ohio State Could ‘Get Rid Of’ Ryan Day With Another Michigan Loss
Finebaum swerved out of his SEC lane to sideswipe the Big Ten’s Day. Following three consecutive losses to the Buckeyes’ most-hated rival, the Michigan Wolverines, Finebaum believes a fourth could be the end of Day’s tenure in Columbus.
“I don’t think (Ryan Day) has to win the national championship, but here’s what he doesn’t need to do — if he loses to Michigan, which would be four in a row, and somehow gets bounced out of the playoffs perhaps before the final game, I think the decision could be to get rid of him, Finebaum said.
“I know that sounds outrageous because he has a gaudy record. …Nobody’s got — other than maybe (Georgia coach) Kirby Smart, and I don’t even think he does — nobody’s got the amazing roster that Ryan Day has. If you can’t win with that roster, then it’s time to find someone who can.”
“It’s a great question. I think everybody says, ‘Who could replace Nick Saban? Who can replace anyone?’ But, ultimately, you find someone, and you find someone who can win a big game. That’s something that Ryan Day has been unable to do with the best talent.”
Mike Gundy’s NIL Comments Were ‘Really Stupid’
Finebaum’s final act was reserved for Gundy and his recent comments on NIL deals. Gundy declared all NIL agreements with current players “non-negotiable” until after the regular season, a move that Finebaum believes will be used against him on the recruiting trail.
“Five or 10 years ago, I would have said, ‘Right on, brother.’ But this is 2024. And that video — even though they are doing the right things, putting QR signs on helmets right now to help the players make money.
“But that video right there will go to every recruit from Oklahoma, Texas, everyone in that area of the country and they’ll use it against Mike Gundy. That was the mistake.
“All of the smartness in that statement, Mike Gundy, it came out really stupid in the recruiting world of this year.”
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