Paul Finebaum says the race for college football’s top spot has narrowed to two familiar heavyweights: Ohio State and Georgia.
On Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Finebaum didn’t hide the split in his thinking. He acknowledged Ohio State’s loss to Texas, but still pointed to the Buckeyes’ roster as a reason they remain squarely in the conversation.
"I'm torn between Ohio State and Georgia," Finebaum admitted today on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports Radio. "I'm well aware Ohio State lost, but I think it terms of a roster, they have it, and they'll get the opportunity."
Ohio State’s setback came in Week 2 against Texas, but the Buckeyes still have plenty of chances to climb back into the No. 1 discussion. Their next test comes this weekend at No. 14 Iowa, followed by a three-game stretch to close October and open November: at Indiana, at USC, and home against Oregon.
Texas, of course, benefited from that Ohio State loss by rising to No. 1 in several major rankings. But Finebaum isn’t ready to hand the Longhorns that kind of praise just yet, even after they survived Tennessee in Knoxville last week.
Georgia, though, is the team Finebaum sees as the current leader - with one major warning attached.
"As of today, it's probably Georgia [as the top team], but that's a cautionary tale because Georgia played Oklahoma the other day, which has just becocme terrible," said Finebaum. "The played Arkansas, they didn't have that usual big game at the beginning of the season."
That softer early run is about to give way to something much more revealing. Finebaum said Georgia’s trip to Alabama on a week from Saturday night will tell the real story, and he made it clear what he expects if the Bulldogs win in Tuscaloosa.
"I think Georgia will define Georgia a week from Saturday night when they got to Tuscaloosa," he said. Finebaum further noted that he didn't "have any doubts" that Georgia would be No. 1 with a win against the Crimson Tide.
For all the noise around the top of the rankings, Georgia has mostly flown under the radar through the 2026 season. In the preseason AP poll, the Bulldogs were No. 3 but did not receive a first-place vote, even though sixth-ranked Indiana got eight and seventh-ranked Miami picked up one.
Now 4-0, Georgia is set to host Vanderbilt and has only a few ranked opponents left on the schedule: Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and No. 25 Missouri.
ESPN’s FPI gives the Bulldogs an 84.1% chance to reach the College Football Playoff and, like Finebaum, places them at No. 1.
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Among the visitors was 2028 offensive tackle Amaree Joshua, a highly regarded prospect with multiple offers, and Ohio State also appears to have reopened a door with Ohio lineman Anthony Blalock Jr. The in-state connection matters, especially for a program that keeps working to lock down its front lines early, and the Buckeyes now have a fresh chance to make that pitch while the recruiting race is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]