Paul Finebaum 'can't argue' with Big Ten chance to win third-straight CFP title

The Big Ten came into the 2025 season looking to win its third straight national title as a conference. Now, just two weeks into the season, ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum believes that the Big Ten has a great chance to make another deep run in the College Football Playoff and potentially win the title.

Finebaum appeared on SportsCenter on Monday afternoon. There, he played a game called ‘Fine or Not Fine,’ and was asked about the Big Ten’s chances. It turns out, they’re pretty good.

“You’re gonna make me lose my SEC homer card here. I’m saying fine. I mean, you can’t argue with where this league is right now. Oregon just pretty much ending Mike Gundy‘s career at Oklahoma State. It looks like a real contender now. So, I think the Big Ten is in great, great shape. Yes, they’re fine.”

In the last two seasons, there have been 16 teams to make it to the College Football Playoff. That’s four in 2023 and 12 in 2024. Among those teams, six have come from current members of the Big Ten. That’s more than any other conference. The next closest is the SEC, which has gotten five teams into the field. During that same time, two different Big Ten teams, Michigan and Ohio State, have won it all.

Now, the AP Top 25 Poll is littered with Big Ten contenders. Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon are all in the top four. Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan round out the conference’s representation in the Top 25. In total, 14 teams remain unbeaten from the conference through two weeks. That includes some big wins early, like Ohio State knocking off Texas, Oregon dismantling Oklahoma State, and Illinois beating Duke.

Following Week 2, ESPN shared its predictive College Football Playoff bracket. In it, three teams get in. That’s the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, and the Ducks. In all those predictions, there’s at least one Big Ten team that’s going to be playing for the CFP national championship.

Of course, there’s a lot of season to go. For his part, Paul Finebaum is certainly focused on the SEC and believes that the conference he’s most commonly tied to can get back on top of the college football world.

There are a few interesting games to take notice of going into Week 3. Wisconsin will be on the road at Alabama. There, they have a chance to make a statement against the Crimson Tide. Several others are going to return to non-conference play against unranked opponents. Then, a handful of others will be getting conference play underway. That includes Oregon, one of those teams competing for a potential national championship.