Paul Finebaum ‘laughing hysterically’ at Big Ten, Tony Petitti after 26-team CFP suggestion

The Big Ten continues to push the limits when it comes to the future of the expanded College Football Playoff. That recently included reports Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was “populating” the idea of potentially doubling the current 12-team field to as many as 24 or 28 teams, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The suggestion was quickly ridiculed by college football analysts far and wide, including On3’s Andy Staples, who didn’t mince words in a recent column about the idea: “Don’t do this. Don’t even consider this.”

On Tuesday, ESPN and SEC Network talking head Paul Finebaum went in on the suggestion of further expanding the 12-team beyond the proposed 16-team or “5+11” model that is popular within both the SEC and Big 12. Finebaum flatly called the Big Ten’s newest 24- or 28-team model suggestion “an unserious, completely absurd proposal” during a recent radio appearance in Birmingham.

“I had to get some help to get off the ground after I fell down laughing hysterically and uproariously,” Finebaum said on Tueday’s McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on JOX 94.5. “I’ve always considered Tony Petitti to be a very serious and intelligent new-world commissioner, but he completely jumped the shark in recent months. And I feel badly for the Big Ten getting stuck with him right now, because he is leading this conference – or trying to lead this conference – somewhere it really doesn’t need to go or deserve to go.

“The real problem with the 28-team Playoff is how do you find enough schools from anywhere from the SEC to fill it up. The Big Ten doesn’t have enough. Certainly the ACC and the Big 12 don’t. And I just think it’s an unserious, completely absurd proposal.”

Petitti’s most recent proposal — which is comparable to its favored “4+4+3+3+1+1” model — would also eliminate conference championship games in favor of play-in games to determine multiple automatic bids for the Power Four conferences, per ESPN. The new 24- or 28-team proposal would provide seven AQ bids apiece for the Big Ten and SEC, with the ACC and Big 12 receiving five bids each, leaving two bids for Group of Five programs and potentially two at-large spots that could also go to Power Four teams.

Of course, this is all speculation at this point, at least until Petitti or the Big Ten formally backs the idea. ESPN reported Petitti first proposed the idea of a 24- or 28-team CFP with his conference members last Wednesday, though Thamel made clear the suggestion is “in the very early stages.” It’s that clear lack of any formality behind the proposal that Finebaum used to go after Petitti personally, especially when he’s compared to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.

“If you’re going to make something like that, defend it. That’s another thing that bugs me about Tony Petitti, he’s been involved with Greg Sankey about the CFP and we never hear from him when he finally shows up on an in-house podcast a couple of weeks ago before he goes to (Big Ten) Media Days,” Finebaum continued. “That’s the one thing about Greg Sankey, he’s always out there, he’s always accessible, he’s transparent and I think that’s one reason why after two years of not having won the national championship, the SEC is still the most-talked about and best conference in America.”

Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey held a preliminary call about the idea on Friday. However, the discussions have been largely inside the Big Ten. SEC athletics directors have a regularly scheduled meeting later this week, and the topic could come up.

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.