Paul Finebaum explains why Miami's CFP win was more impressive than Alabama

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum happened to be more impressed with Miami’s win over Texas A&M than Alabama’s comeback against Oklahoma. The first round of the College Football Playoff was highlighted by those two thrillers.

Miami won 10-3 on the road in a defensive slugfest, while Alabama overcame a 17-0 deficit to win 34-24 over the Sooners, getting payback on the road. But what the Hurricanes did came across more impressive to Finebaum.

How do both teams fare in the quarterfinals against Ohio State and Indiana respectively? That remains to be seen.

“I think it was Miami, even though I sat there or stood there at the Alabama game in awe of what the Crimson Tide had accomplished,” Finebaum said on First Take. “But to me, Miami beat a better team and a more difficult place to win, and that is at Kyle Field in Texas A&M. Alabama and Oklahoma, they were about an even matchup. But what Miami did, especially on the defensive side, against what had been an explosive offense, I thought, was absolutely spectacular.

“I’m not sure where they go from here, other than having to face what I think is the best team in the field remaining, and that’s Ohio State. And I don’t want to take anything away from Alabama. I mean, that was a … gritty comeback of epic proportion. But to me, Miami, doing what it did, especially on the defensive side of the ball, was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen this college football season.”

Miami more impressive than Alabama in CFP?

Alabama having success in the CFP is par for the course, even though this is a new regime under Kalen DeBoer. But for Mario Cristobal and Miami, this is new territory.

“Well, yeah, I do (take stock of the milestone),” Cristobal said, in response to On3’s Ari Wasserman. “I mean, you know, what I think is important? I think it was important first to get in the playoff. Then, to go and win at a place like this, right – 100,000-plus people, on the road, against a team that was arguably in the top two or three until their last game – and to get it done in this type of environment. I think, like, that? We needed that. If you could draw it up how we wanted it, we wanted to go there. You know, we wanted to come here, and do it against a great football team.”

“So, what does it mean for us? Continued progress. The vision? I mean, we’ve never altered the course or deterred from it, despite all the challenges that come with it but that’s part of it, you know,” said Cristobal. “So, again, really proud of our players. It’s all about them, and that staff, because, again, forty-plus days ago, we were lower than low, and they found a way to just bring a different level of energy every single day and lift each other and the program up.”