Eric Boggs
Ohio State fans are fed up with Paul Finebaum’s constant belittling of the Buckeyes and the Big Ten. Year after year, he plays the role of ESPN’s SEC mouthpiece, blindly pushing the tired narrative that the Southeastern Conference stands alone atop college football. But the facts tell a different story—Big Ten programs have finished at the summit of the sport the past two seasons, with Ohio State claiming the national title just last year. That success hasn’t slowed Finebaum, who continues to minimize what Ryan Day’s program has achieved and dismiss their future prospects.
Following last year’s loss to Michigan, Ohio State responded with one of the most impressive postseason runs in recent college football memory, capturing its first national championship in a decade. It was a defining achievement for head coach Ryan Day, who became only the third active head coach to secure a national title, joining elite company and proving his ability to lead under pressure.
Yet with the 2024 season in the rearview mirror and the 2025 campaign approaching, Finebaum is already throwing cold water on the Buckeyes’ chances. “I don’t like Ohio State,” he said recently. “I think Ohio State is going to lose in the opener against Texas, and they are going to struggle to make the playoffs, let alone win it all.” It’s a take that seems less rooted in analysis and more in bias—something Buckeye Nation has come to expect from Finebaum.
His comment ignores the expanded College Football Playoff format that now makes it significantly more difficult to miss the postseason. Ohio State would likely need to lose at least three games to be left out entirely. While the schedule does include major challenges in Texas, Penn State, and Michigan, Day’s team has shown the depth, resilience, and star power to handle those matchups.
Yes, the Buckeyes sent a remarkable 14 players to the NFL in the 2025 Draft, but they return two of the best players in all of college football: wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who could be the next great Ohio State pass catcher, and safety Caleb Downs, a game-changing presence on the back end of the defense. That kind of returning talent—paired with the momentum of a title season—makes it hard to envision Ohio State struggling to reach the playoff.
Even if they fall short in Week 1 against Texas, the Buckeyes are more than equipped to regroup and assert themselves as a championship contender once again. The national title wasn’t a fluke; it was the result of elite recruiting, coaching, and culture. Dismissing all of that based on one early matchup is exactly the kind of shallow narrative Finebaum peddles, but Buckeye fans—and the college football world—know better.
