Paul Finebaum Names Two Teams On The Brink Of College Football History
College football has experienced significant changes over the past two seasons. Several teams have switched conferences, including the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns, Oregon Ducks, SMU Mustangs and Arizona State Sun Devils. Additionally, the playoff format has expanded from four teams to twelve teams.
Due to this expansion, it marked the first time in the playoff's history that teams with two losses qualified. In total, eight of the 12 teams that participated in the playoff had two losses. However, history may be made again in the 2025 season.
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On "The Paul Finebaum Show," an SEC Network analyst suggested that two teams are capable of making the playoffs with only nine wins next season.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Trey Moore (8) and Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Will Kacmarek (89) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
"Take Ohio State or Texas," Finebaum said. "Both of those could get in with nine (wins) because they play each other to start the year."
Finebaum suggests that a loss in the opening game for either Texas or Ohio State may not be detrimental, considering their remaining schedules for the season. According to Athlon Sports, Texas has the fifth-easiest schedule in the SEC for 2025. In contrast, Ohio State faces the seventh-toughest schedule in the Big Ten.
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Some notable games for the Buckeyes, aside from their matchup against Texas, include away games at Washington, Wisconsin and Michigan and a home game against Penn State. The Longhorns have challenging matchups like a road game against Florida, a neutral-site game against Oklahoma, an away game at Georgia and a home game against Texas A&M.
Despite facing tough opponents, neither team is ranked in the top 10 for the most difficult schedules in college football. This raises questions about whether either team could still make the playoffs with nine wins, assuming they don't win their conference championship. For example, the Clemson Tigers went 10-3 last year before the postseason but still made it into the playoff due to winning the ACC.
Additionally, both teams will have to address the challenge of losing key players if they hope to reach nine wins and position themselves for playoff contention. Ohio State returns only 46% of its production from last year's national championship-winning team, ranking them No. 101, while Texas returns just 45% of its national semifinal team from last year, putting them at No. 103.
The season will kick off in Columbus, Ohio, on August 30.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals 'Real Problem' For College Football Powerhouse
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