Paul Finebaum Thinks SEC's Controversial Schedule Move Could Have Hidden Benefit

Appearing on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum made the case that the SEC sticking to an eight-game in-conference schedule could have the hidden benefit of increasing the number of teams they wind up getting in the College Football Playoff. Per On3 Sports...

quote:

---

“One thing that makes the debate more complex is, even though we all agree that we wanted nine games, is the fact that the SEC can then, however you phrase the argument or frame it, come back and say look at our record? It makes it hard to battle,” Finebaum said. “The headlines may seem negative. And the SEC is kind of just shrugging.

“We don’t know what the CFP is going to do. I don’t think this is going to be a big deal. And, quite frankly, I think the decision will be made before we even know,” continued Finebaum. “We won’t know what the CFP decides until December of ’24. By then, I think the SEC will have had to have made a determination.”

“If one school gets left out on strength of schedule, I think there’ll be a hue and cry,” Finebaum said. “But I think there’s a better chance that the SEC gets another school in as a result of this as much as I hate to admit it.”

---

(The Spun)