For some reason, sports analysts appear to have a difficult time uttering three specific words in order. “I was wrong” is mentioned occasionally, but not nearly as often as it could be. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who discussed Notre Dame on The Paul Finebaum Show last week, was one of the college football experts who finally admitted it.
Finebaum has been vocal for years about Notre Dame’s lack of this or that and the need for it to join a conference. This week, the longtime SEC spokesman finally ate his words and realized that 2024 proved him wrong about Notre Dame football.
“Notre Dame this year proved us all wrong,” Finebaum remarked. “They proved they could thrive without a conference. I did not believe they could. I’ll give Marcus Freeman and his team a lot of credit for how they dominated this college football season.”
Notre Dame, of course, advanced to the National Championship game last season before losing to Ohio State. With the College Football Playoff expanding in the coming years, Notre Dame’s path to it becomes easier, even with guaranteed slots for the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12.
To make the playoffs whenever they expand again, Notre Dame simply needs to finish in the top 14 in the country. Perhaps Finebaum is adjusting his tone not only because of Notre Dame’s performance last season, but also because of what the team is poised to do in the coming years under Marcus Freeman.
About The Author
