Latest news with #McElroyandCubelicintheMorning
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Greg McElroy Names Quiet SEC Contender Flying Under the Radar
Greg McElroy Names Quiet SEC Contender Flying Under the Radar originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The win totals for every SEC team have been released, with the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns emerging as the favorites to win the conference. All three teams have a predicted win total of 9.5 games for the upcoming season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Advertisement Following them are the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers, with a forecasted total of 8.5 wins each. Notably absent from the top six are the Texas A&M Aggies, who finished with an 8-5 record in the first year under head coach Mike Elko. The Aggies have a win prediction set at 7.5 for the 2025 season. The 8-5 season represented progress following 7-6 and 5-7 campaigns, which ultimately led to the firing of Jimbo Fisher. Although the improvement was encouraging, it was bittersweet. The Aggies started the season strong with a 7-1 record but stumbled to a 1-4 finish. One of those losses came against Texas in the final game of the season, where the Aggies fell 17-7, despite having a chance to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Despite the disappointing end to the season, ESPN's Greg McElroy expressed optimism on his radio show, "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," stating that there is reason to believe the Aggies could compete for the SEC title in 2025. Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Lysaker-Imagn Images "Then finally Texas A&M," McElroy said. "You are going to say, 'C'mon, they are always 8-4, Greg.' Well, I actually think they are one of the few teams, by the way, returning a quarterback this year. There aren't many that are. They are. Marcel Reed is back. Mike Elko's second year. You can expect a possible second-year bump." Advertisement McElroy mentioned Texas A&M's returning quarterback, Marcel Reed. After stepping in for starter Connor Weigman, Reed threw for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also demonstrated his impressive running ability, rushing for 543 yards and scoring seven touchdowns at an average of 4.7 yards per carry. McElroy acknowledged that some key players on the defensive line will not be with Texas A&M this season, but he said he still believes they will perform well defensively. The players missing are Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner, Nic Scourton and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. However, McElroy thinks the Aggies have a strong and deep running back room. He is optimistic about some of the new additions at wide receiver and considers the offensive line to be one of the best in the league. Additionally, he believes the Aggies' schedule is not overly challenging. McElroy thinks Texas A&M has the potential to be a real sleeper team in 2025, noting that not many people are discussing them. The Aggies will kick off their season against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners at 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Team That Had a 'Miserable' End to the Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fans in Disbelief Over Charley Barkley NIL Confession to Auburn
Charles Barkley is making waves on social media again amid a stunning admission over the limits of NIL funding for his beloved Auburn Tigers. Barkley was a star player at Auburn in the 1980s before he embarked on a Hall of Fame career in the NBA and garnered additional fame as part of TNT's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show. He has always given back to Auburn, especially as the men's basketball program has ascended to elite status under head coach Bruce Pearl. Advertisement But in a new interview with WJOX-FM in Birmingham, Alabama, Barkley has called the "notion" that he will give "legal or illegal" millions each year to Auburn University "the stupidest thing" he has ever heard. "I've been rich for a long time. I plan to stay that way. But the notion that I'm going to give Auburn millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports, that's just not going to happen," Barkley told "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning" on Wednesday. By one estimate, Barkley's net worth is roughly $80 million. But though he insisted he will continue to give money to the school, Barkley has drawn a red line as it pertains to his own contributions to the NIL collective -- even after the men's basketball team reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement "I'm really proud of what I've given Auburn and I'm going to continue to give them money, but I'm not going to give them millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports," Barkley said. That's just stupid." Barkley's comments turned heads on social media. One user on X wrote that "Barkley blowing up his own school's collective is peak Charles Barkley," while another sarcastically commented on Barkley's admission that he was a booster prior to the NIL era One user expressed confusion that Barkley was opposed to giving millions of his own dollars every year, and @jcasey1977 called on the NCAA to put "rules and conditions" in place with respect to NIL collectives. Another speculated that Pearl was "begging for more money" to continue competing following the departures of Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara from the Final Four team. Advertisement One X user even saw fit to offer Chuck a little financial advice. "Chuck, you should work on setting up your giving as an annuity," wrote @TinyToothDDS. "That way it can sustain payouts long term. Related: Cooper Flagg Fails to Make Impact After Latest NBA Draft Lottery News
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Even Paul Finebaum Thinks Clemson Can Win It All—Yes, Really
No, this isn't an April Fool's joke, and no, you didn't accidentally click on The Onion. Paul Finebaum—the longtime SEC megaphone and frequent Clemson skeptic—just said something nice about the Tigers. Not just nice. Complimentary. Borderline glowing. Advertisement 'I think Clemson is in the national championship race,' Finebaum said this week on ESPN's McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. For most programs, that wouldn't exactly move the needle. But for Clemson? Coming from Finebaum? That's headline material. This is the same Paul Finebaum who once questioned whether Dabo Swinney had staying power, mocked Clemson's early NIL philosophy, and all but rolled his eyes at talk of the Tigers as a modern dynasty. So to hear Finebaum include Clemson in his personal shortlist of 2025 title contenders? That's about as close to a public apology as you're going to get. Paul Finebaum© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Yes, Clemson has been trending upward since the back half of last season. Yes, the Tigers are coming off another College Football Playoff appearance. Yes, Cade Klubnik has developed into a legitimate Heisman contender, and the defense is absolutely loaded with elite talent like T.J. Parker and Peter Woods anchoring the front. Advertisement But none of that guarantees Paul Finebaum's endorsement. He's long preferred to keep the national spotlight glued to the SEC—Alabama, Georgia, LSU—while keeping Clemson in the 'let's see if they're for real' category. So this moment? It means something. Finebaum acknowledging Clemson as a real threat in 2025 is the football version of a solar eclipse: rare, slightly disorienting, and you better soak it in while it lasts. To be fair, Finebaum isn't wrong. This year's Clemson team is loaded with top-tier talent across the board—possibly more than any Tigers squad since 2018. Klubnik is no longer a young quarterback with potential—he's now a seasoned leader, entering his third year as a starter with one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the country. On the other side of the ball, Clemson boasts arguably the best defensive front in America, headlined by future first-rounders Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Advertisement Throw in Avieon Terrell and Antonio Williams—possibly the top cornerback and receiver in the ACC—and it's no surprise Clemson sits in the top five of nearly every post-spring Top 25. You know you're doing something right when even your usual critics are buying in. And in the world of college football punditry, there's no tougher sell than Paul Finebaum. The fact that even he is calling Clemson a contender? That's not just noise. That's validation. So if you needed a sign that Dabo Swinney's Tigers are back in the big-time national title conversation, forget the stats, the rankings, or the spring buzz. Just listen to Paul Finebaum. He thinks Clemson is good. Not just good—good good. Related: Clemson Cracks Top 10 in NIL-Era College Football Job Rankings by Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Finebaum feels 'really good about Oklahoma'
Paul Finebaum feels 'really good about Oklahoma' Spring ball is behind us. Fall camp and the season opener are months away. With just summer workouts and recruiting on the horizon for the next 90 days, the buzz has been building surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners. They're a team with something to prove in 2025, but a lot of analysts and prognosticators are encouraged by what they see happening in Norman. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, turned college football analyst, ranked John Mateer as his No. 2 quarterback in all of college football ahead of 2025. The Sooners were included inside the top 25 of USA TODAY Sports post-spring power rankings. The latest to throw praise behind the Oklahoma Sooners is ESPN college football expert Paul Finebaum. On a recent episode of "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," Finebaum gushed about the moves Oklahoma's made this offseason. 'I feel really good about Oklahoma,' Paul Finebaum said. 'I think Oklahoma has got it together from a quarterback standpoint, from an offensive coordinator standpoint, both of whom, of course, came from Washington State. I think they've filled in some gaps.' The additions of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer have been the talk of the offseason. A lot rides on those two recreating their successes from Washington State. Arbuckle helped develop the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Cam Ward. Arbuckle and Mateer had a strong season with the Cougars up in Pullman, where Mateer led the nation in total touchdowns. If Arbuckle and Mateer can have similar success in Norman, the OU offense will take off. Those moves will pay huge dividends in the short term, but it's a long-term move in the front office that will make a huge impact on Oklahoma's present and future. Paul Finebaum loved the addition of general manager Jim Nagy as well. 'I think Brent Venables realized that he just wasn't quite prepared for the SEC,' Finebaum said. 'Also, I think bringing in somebody you guys know, Jim Nagy, from the Senior Bowl may have been the best move of the offseason. I talk to NFL people a lot and college administrators and everyone is raving about him.' Nagy's impact has already been felt in the spring transfer portal season with the additions of offensive lineman Jake Maikkula and running back Jaydn Ott. The Sooners are banking on these additions leading to a resurgent season in Norman. The buzz is palpable. Now, all Oklahoma has to do is go win games. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
