It wouldn’t be football season without analyst Paul Finebaum voicing his concerns about something in the sport.
Recently, the experienced ESPN commentator criticized one particular school after its participation in the College Football Playoff last season.
Paul Finebaum Critiques SMU
During a recent edition of The Paul Finebaum Show, Finebaum directed his criticism towards the SMU Mustangs after they secured a place in the 12-team College Football Playoff last year.
“Last year, SMU got a third-place ribbon. They had no business being in the CFP,” Finebaum remarked.
To be fair, as a representative of the Power Four, the Mustangs performed as expected.
In their inaugural season within the ACC, they achieved 11 victories and earned a spot in the ACC Title Game.
SMU’S NOT DONE YET!
They make it a 10-point game in the ACC championship 👀📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/kU2LFEF7Bk
— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2024
They completed conference play undefeated but were defeated by the Clemson Tigers on a last-second field goal.
Nonetheless, the College Football Playoff Committee deemed their performance sufficient for a playoff spot.
However, they faced a harsh defeat against Penn State in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, concluding their season.
Whenever a season ends in such a manner, it raises questions about a team’s credibility and overall performance.
This scenario has become a standard set by the College Football Playoff committee.
That said, the 2023 Florida State team stands out as a rare case; despite finishing undefeated, they were excluded from the playoffs after losing their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, to a significant knee injury.
SMU Aims to Repeat 2024 Achievement
For the upcoming season, the Mustangs are preparing to compete against several formidable opponents in the ACC.
They will face Syracuse, which had a strong season with 10 wins, along with Clemson, last year’s ACC champions, Miami—who recently secured veteran quarterback Carson Beck through the transfer portal—and Louisville, which ranked in the top 25 last season.
KEEP READING: SMU and LSU Announce Home-and-Home Series for 2028 and 2029
In addition, they will take on Baylor and TCU as part of their early-season non-conference schedule.
If the Mustangs manage to secure 10 or more victories, they could make a return to the College Football Playoff.
However, they will strive to go beyond last year’s experience after their defeat by the Nittany Lions.
Image Source: Paul Finebaum @ Instagram
