Paul Finebaum is an SEC homer. We all know this. But he once again put those biases on display while recently discussing the latest College Football Playoff rankings during an appearance on ESPN’s morning show Get Up!
The top four teams in the latest rankings are LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia.
On the outside looking in are the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, and Utah Utes. That means the Crimson Tide could be vying for the final spot in the postseason with a Pac-12 champion when the final decision comes.
As far as Finebaum is concerned, it’s a no brainer that Alabama is the better, more deserving squad.
“Quite frankly, I’m not impressed with Oregon and Utah,” Finebaum said. “They’re gonna win the Pac-12, but Alabama could win the Pac-12. I think as you get closer to the examination, you’re going to find that Alabama’s resume is going to trump Oregon and Utah’s with one exception. They will not have a conference championship.”
Alabama has twice won the National Championship without winning its own division.
Is there a chance the Tide still makes it in the Playoff? pic.twitter.com/K7XpqP6oZj
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 20, 2019
Ouch.
This is likely going to come down to the selection committee choosing between a one-loss Alabama team or one-loss Pac-12 champion. Who they ultimately choose remains to be seen, but the Crimson Tide currently have the inside track.
A full look at the rankings for games played through November 16 can be seen below.
College Football Playoff Rankings 2019: Week 13
- LSU (10-0)
- Ohio State (10-0)
- Clemson (11-0)
- Georgia (9-1)
- Alabama (9-1)
- Oregon (9-1)
- Utah (9-1)
- Penn State (9-1)
- Oklahoma (9-1)
- Minnesota (9-1)
- Florida (9-2)
- Wisconsin (8-2)
- Michigan (8-2)
- Baylor (9-1)
- Auburn (7-3)
- Notre Dame (8-2)
- Iowa (7-3)
- Memphis (9-1)
- Cincinnati (9-1)
- Boise State (9-1)
- Oklahoma State (7-3)
- Iowa State (6-4)
- Southern Cal (7-4)
- Appalachian State (9-1)
- SMU (9-1)
About the College Football Playoff: The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Saturday, December 29, 2018, at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Capital One Orange Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 7, 2019, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.