With the 2026 college football season just over a week away, the early conversation is already splitting into two separate debates: who is best, and who is most talented. The AP poll answered the first one by putting Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas in the top five. Paul Finebaum went a different direction on the second.
On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst said he sees Ohio State and Texas as the two deepest collections of talent in the sport.
"If you are looking at just pure talent, you would go with Texas and Ohio State as your top two teams," Finebaum said. "But there's more to it than just pure talent across the board.
You factor in where the games are. Situational football.
A lot of things are involved in that."
Ohio State’s case is easy to understand. Ryan Day’s program has become a fixture near the top of the sport because of the talent it reloads with every year. The Buckeyes return quarterback Julian Sayin, freshman star Bo Jackson and receiver Jeremiah Smith, who Finebaum called arguably the best player in college football.
Texas, though, is the more interesting pick because it was not placed in the AP’s top two. Finebaum’s view lines up with the Longhorns’ roster, which is loaded with high-end pieces after major investment in the group.
Arch Manning sits at the center of it all. He enters his second season as Texas’ full-time starter after making major strides in the second half of 2025. Around him, the Longhorns bring back a strong skill group that gives the offense plenty of punch.
Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown give Texas multiple running back options, while Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo provide Manning with two major receiving threats.
That mix gives Texas one of the most imposing offensive talent bases in the country heading into 2026. Finebaum’s comments do not guarantee anything about where the Longhorns will end up, but they do underline why Texas remains one of the teams everyone will be watching closely when the season kicks off.
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