College football analyst Paul Finebaum has long been known for his strong opinions and wild takes on the sport.
He’s one of the most well-known voices in college football, especially when it comes to the SEC. When Finebaum speaks, fans listen, and it’s no different with his recent prediction about who could win the national title in 2025.
Paul Finebaum Chooses Five Teams Who Could Win the National Title in 2025
On his SEC Network show, “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Finebaum picked five teams he believes are true contenders for the 2025 season.
As reported by Athlon Sports, Finebaum’s picks were Clemson, Texas, Alabama, Oregon and Penn State.
None of these are crazy choices. All five teams are in a good spot heading into the new season.
It is a little surprising, though, that an SEC guy like Finebaum left out Georgia. And skipping the defending champs, Ohio State, is also a head-scratcher. But overall, these picks make sense.
Clemson might seem like a long shot, but they enter 2025 with one of the best quarterbacks in Cade Klubnik. Their defense is stacked too, led by top defensive linemen Peter Woods and TJ Parker. And of course, Dabo Swinney is still running the show.
Finebaum isn’t the only one high on Clemson. Adam Breneman also thinks they can make a title run.
Clemson is a major national title contender in 2025:
– Dabo Swinney is finally embracing the transfer portal.
Cade Klubnik returns as quarterback.Tom Allen is taking over as DC after leading Penn State to one of the top defenses in the country last season.
With these… pic.twitter.com/Nz6UgFnvUS
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) January 17, 2025
Texas is a favorite for a lot of analysts, and it’s not just because of Arch Manning. The whole roster looks loaded. Their defense is one of the best in the country, and Steve Sarkisian’s teams are always tough up front.
Finebaum picking Alabama over Georgia and Ohio State is interesting. All three have new quarterbacks, but Alabama might have the weakest overall roster. They should be better than they were in 2024, but on paper, they don’t stack up with the Buckeyes or Bulldogs.
Penn State is another pick that’s easy to get behind. They return Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen on offense, and their defense is projected to be one of the best in the country again.
Oregon also makes sense. Finebaum leaving out Ohio State in favor of the Ducks is questionable, but Oregon did crush it in the transfer portal. They’ll start former five-star Dante Moore at quarterback, and the talent is there across the board. Dan Lanning has his team in the mix once again.
Finebaum’s list might not be perfect, but it’s a strong group. Right now, it’s fair to say that any of these five teams could win it all.
This guy is sniffing glue again
Hold up, Paul really picking Alabama and Oregon to have a chance to win the National Championship over Ohio State. Really?? Oregon might finished 3rd in the Big Ten behind Penn State and Ohio State. Alabama has to show they can beat Georgia and Texas. C’mon Paul.