Paul Finebaum isn’t ready to lock in a College Football Playoff champion just yet, but he’s making his direction pretty clear: he’s leaning Big Ten again.
That’s the headline as the new season approaches and the playoff race gets ready to kick into gear in about a month. The Big Ten has owned the national title picture for three straight seasons, with a different program finishing the job each time - Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025. Now the rest of the sport is trying to pry the trophy away.
The numbers still point toward the conference staying on top. ESPN’s Football Power Index has Ohio State leading the way with a 17% chance to win the national championship. Texas sits next at 12.8%, Notre Dame is third at 10.6%, and Oregon is the next Big Ten team on the board at 9.2%, which ranks fifth nationally.
Finebaum was asked at SEC media days who he thinks will win the College Football Playoff, and he mentioned Ohio State, Oregon and Notre Dame. Then, on "The Paul Finebaum Show," he made it clear where his thinking is headed.
"I don't think it's really in dispute," Finebaum said. "I haven't made a final decision yet.
Not that anybody's really waiting for that. I'm leaning toward picking a Big Ten team to win it again."
He still hasn’t made the final call, but his recent comments suggest the choice is likely coming down to Ohio State and Oregon.
Ohio State has the kind of roster that makes people circle it immediately. The Buckeyes’ offense is built around quarterback Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who Finebaum’s source material notes might be the best player in college football.
Oregon has its own heavyweight case. The Ducks bring back quarterback Dante Moore, receivers Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart, and running back Jordon Davison. They also return plenty on defense as they chase the first national championship in program history.
For now, the Big Ten remains the standard-bearer in college football, and both the analytics and the national conversation suggest that could continue in 2026. If another Big Ten team ends the season with the trophy, it would only strengthen the league’s grip on the sport.
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The standard around Bloomington has shifted fast, and the challenge now is living up to it. Indiana is expected to open near the top of the national rankings again, even after a title march that included wins over Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon, and the leagues coaches seem to agree that Cignetti has already reset the bar for what a turnaround can look like in this conference. [Read more 🡒]