Paul Finebaum doesn’t believe the Ohio State hype, even after the Buckeyes won another two national championships in the College Football Playoff era.
The famous SEC analyst made a huge prediction during his Saturday morning SportsCenter segment when he stated his belief that Ryan Day’s team won’t win back-to-back titles.
“I do not see the repeat,” Finebaum said during an appearance on SportsCenter Saturday morning.
“To me, there is a hangover effect when you win a national championship. We rarely see a repeat. We saw that with Georgia a couple of years ago, but it is very difficult,” he further elaborated.
Defending champions are facing unprecedented roster turnover prior to the new season. 14 players from last season’s title-winning team had their names called at the 2025 NFL Draft. Such player exodus has put Day in full-scale rebuilding mode in the offseason.
Ohio State has made necessary moves to compensate for the exodus by landing the No. 11 transfer portal class in the country and a top-five recruiting class in the same year. Finebaum asked the question of whether elite recruiting can overcome such a significant loss in veteran leadership and experience.
Ohio State Unlikely To Yield Positive Results Despite Jeremiah Smith Hype
The Buckeyes have the biggest question mark on their roster regarding the quarterback position. With Will Howard gone, Julian Sayin will be the starting quarterback for the team. Sayin will be part of a program with title expectations, not opportunities.
Finebaum admits that while Ohio State has elite level talent, especially with the likes of Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, the brightest of individuals won’t conquer all that lies in front of the program now.
“Notably, they have a new quarterback in Julian Sayin. They do have the best player in the country in Jeremiah Smith, and maybe the second best in Caleb Downs, but they’re going down Week 1 against Texas, and they’ll probably lose to Penn State later in the year as well,” Finebaum declared.
Paul Finebaum believes pain lies ahead as Ohio State head into the opening game; but, in addition to that, he singled out the Buckeyes’ annual matchup with Penn State as another possible bump in the road for the defending champions.
“I think what happened last year is going to hang over them. Especially the fact that they have so many players in the NFL now,” Finebaum said.
The concerns of the analyst go further than simple turnover. He believes that the psychological pressure of last season’s success will create extra difficulty for Ohio State.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
