Paul Finebaum Identifies 'Sacrificial Lambs' In The New Playoff Format

By Larry Leo••

ESPN and the SEC Network's Paul Finebaum believes the "Group of Five" teams that qualify for the new college playoff format will be unable to match the talent of the sport's top programs...

quote:
“There is no way they can compete,” he said on the Always College Football podcast.

“They are simply going to be sacrificial lambs.”

(The Spun)

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cajunmud•29 months

Football at smaller schools may just disappear.

AmazinGrace•29 months

The G5 teams as of late that have been awarded NY6 bowl games have been playing teams that are a shell of the original team. Lots of opt-outs that were not playing. You will not see opt-outs for teams that make the playoffs.

TouchdownTony•29 months

With NIL you won't see the "Cinderellas" anymore. Even in basketball. The days of the Butlers, St Josephs and Loyola Chicago making championship runs are coming to an end.

cbree88•29 months

Has he never heard of Boise State and some of the G5 teams that are now P5 such as Utah, TCU, etc.? There will be some upsets occasionally.

Privateer 2007•29 months

That was before NIL.
I'm a Tulane alum and would love to see upset, but it's way tougher nowadays.

cbree88•29 months

Tulane just upset USC last year. Who would have thought that was possible? I think it will still happen.

TouchdownTony•29 months

Utah and TCU are in P5 conferences. Boise st has been a has been for a few years now. I know what you're saying but the window is closing fast on G5 schools as the prices for players keeps increasing.

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xGeauxLSUx•29 months

Always some bullshite to complain about.

jp4lsu•29 months

Is there a requirement for the Go5 to be in final 12? Will there be a champion from each possibly?

AmazinGrace•29 months

The highest rated five conference champions are awarded playoff spots. Previously it was the six highest ranked conference champs that were awarded NY6 bowls. Since the Pac2 have no road to the playoffs that means the highest ranked G5 team gets in.

Billy Mays•29 months

The NIL/portal era killed the G5 - not the playoff. The playoff is just beating an already dead horse.

Timeoday•29 months

Once they have the semi-final round with 4 SEC teams changes will have to be made.

Datbayoubengal•29 months

Lol, what changes? Look, I love that it's expanded, but once you expanded it to a playoff, you'd get multiple SEC teams in the championship. Any more expanding pretty much guaranteed a final four of 3 or even four SEC teams. They would literally have to create pro level conferences to stop an all SEC finish the vast majority of the time. Something like the Big Ten and Big 12 (Big 22) vs the SEC and ACC (the SEACC). Of course the conferences would only be for playoff seeding as the original conferences would run separately for everything else.

lsusa•29 months

I wish finebum would join his buddy Little Nicky in retiring.

TFH•29 months

They should have never gave that ****a money

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