Say what you will about Paul Finebaum, but the longtime college football personality has always been willing to tell it like it is.
And when it comes to the current state of the sport he covers, that means admitting that his beloved Southeastern Conference is no longer college football’s top dog. Rather, one year removed from Michigan winning the last-ever four-team College Football Playoff and just hours after Ohio State won the first-ever 12-team CFP, Finebaum had no choice but to concede that when it comes to college football’s hierarchy, the Big Ten reigns supreme.
“The answer, Greeny, is yes,” Finebaum told Mike Greenberg — a Big Ten alum by way of Northwestern — when asked on Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s Get Up whether the conference owns college football. “The Big Ten, at the moment, owns college football. And there’s no way you can say it doesn’t. When you go back to back, that’s generational.”
Finebaum proceeded to note that the Buckeyes even beat two SEC teams — Tennessee and Texas — in the playoff en route to their victory over Notre Dame in Monday night’s national title game. He then went on to quote former New York Senator William L. Marcy, who famously once said of Andrew Jackson’s victory in the 1828 presidential election, “to the victor belong the spoils.”
“And that’s exactly where the Big Ten is this morning,” Finebaum said. “It’s an uncomfortable feeling for the SEC, which has owned the sport. But it’s a reality this morning.”
Paul Finebaum: “The Big Ten, at the moment, owns college football. And there’s no way you can say it doesn’t… it’s an uncomfortable feeling for the SEC, which has owned the sport. But it’s a reality this morning.” pic.twitter.com/B1KR8efVDS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025
While ESPN typically prefers to embrace debate on its morning shows, the reality is that this is an instance where the scoreboard says it all, as it’s been different Big Ten team hoisting college football’s top prize at the end of last two seasons. And with Nick Saban no longer presiding over a dynasty in Tuscaloosa, it will be interesting to see how long the SEC finds itself trying to catch up in the sport’s new era.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.