SEC
Finebaum Discusses SEC’s ‘Down Year’ After Big Ten Wins Back-to-Back Titles
SEC Network host Paul Finebaum shares his thought on why the league took a step back in 2024
Obviously, the SEC had a down year after the conference went another year without winning a national title.
While Georgia and Texas were the only two SEC teams to reach the expanded 12-team playoff in 2024, that doesn’t necessarily mean the year was a failure. The depth of the league’s members was deeper than ever with many playoff contenders beating each other out of contention.
Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian before a game with the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-AllSECfb Images
Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M and others beat the life out of each other with none of them winning 10 regular season games. SEC Network host and analyst Paul Finebaum joined Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic’s show to discuss what caused the SEC ultimately falling short of a national title.
WHAT FINEBAUM SAID
“I think, you know, it’s easy to say, well, the quarterback was subpar in the SEC this year,” said Finebaum. “But, if you look at the championship game, the two quarterbacks in that game, while they performed well, were certainly not the kind of quarterbacks that usually turn programs around.”
What happened this season is anomaly, according to Finebaum, because some of the best teams were relegated to bowl games for the holidays.
“I think some of it is just circumstance. These things happen in sports,” said Finebaum. “You know, you can argue for the rest of the month that the Buffalo Bills were the best team in the NFL but they’re still staying home from the Super Bowl.”
Finebaum went onto state Alabama’s transition from legendary coach Nick Saban to first-year head man Kalen DeBoer was key to the SEC’s lack of dominance.
“I think you always start with Nick Saban but that’s predictable. And the fact is that we all know, since 2009, Saban has won six of those. So, I mean, that’s a big deal when one person in particular has captured not only six championships but has been in nine title games,” Finebaum said. “If you take that out of the equation, the SEC doesn’t look nearly as dominant.”
