Paul Finebaum has never been shy about picking a fight, and this time Michigan is the target.
The ESPN and SEC Network voice was on “The Film Guy Network” talking about the sport’s most irritating fan bases when he zeroed in on Wolverines supporters. Finebaum didn’t soften the blow, either.
"Michigan fans, they're not worth the time," Finebaum said. "They think college football revolves around them, and they've won two and a half national championships in 70 years, and they cheated to get the last one."
It’s the kind of line that fits Finebaum’s long-running habit of sparring with fan bases across the country. Clemson, Big Ten schools, Miami - he’s taken shots at plenty of them over the years, usually while defending the SEC. But Michigan, in his telling, sits in a category of its own.
That confidence, of course, is part of what makes Wolverines fans such an easy target. Michigan is listed as having three national championships, and the program remains the winningest in college football. That history helps explain why the fan base carries itself with so much pride.
Now the program is trying to turn the page again.
Michigan moved on from head coach Sherrone Moore after the regular season last year because of off-the-field issues, then hired longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to take over. Whittingham’s run in Salt Lake City stretched 22 years, and he finished 177-88 there.
The fit, at least on paper, is clear. Whittingham is known for the kind of team identity Michigan has leaned on at its best: physical, disciplined and tough on defense. That was the formula when the Wolverines won the national championship in 2023 under Jim Harbaugh.
Year 1 may not come with instant payoff, but the hope is that Whittingham can steady the program and eventually push Michigan back into the national picture. If he can bring that same detail-driven style from Utah to Ann Arbor, the Wolverines should have a chance to stay in the championship conversation.
Finebaum’s comments won’t land well in Ann Arbor, but they’re just the latest flashpoint in his ongoing back-and-forth with Big Ten programs.
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