Paul Finebaum on Texas in the SEC: "I have never been more excited about anything in the SEC"
Paul Finebaum, the longtime host of the Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network, joined On Texas Football‘s daily Coffee and Football show on Thursday morning. Finebaum talked about Texas joining the SEC, the atmosphere in Tuscaloosa for the Longhorn win over Alabama, Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M, conference realignment, and much more.
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Finebaum on when Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC broke
“I’m going to go backwards for a second. Media days started on Wednesday, whenever it was. The previous Monday, the week before, I got a call — I was going on vacation — from a friend. Very plugged in. He said, ‘you’re not going to believe this. I’m pretty sure Texas and OU are coming to the SEC.’ I literally laughed out loud. I went on vacation and thought ‘maybe I should check that out.’
But it’s too preposterous to even ask anyone. It just so happened that I got back on Friday and Greg Sankey’s No. 2 guy called me. I think I was just extended at ESPN and he wanted to congratulate me. I said ‘by the way, I got the craziest call the other day, just insanity.’
He said, ‘about what?’
I said, ‘you’re going to announce at media days that Texas and Oklahoma are coming to the SEC,’ and the guy did not say a word.
Then, I was afraid to tell anybody because then I was going to get outed as the source. You’re in one of those conflicts. I was a reporter my whole life, and I’m like, do I want to blow up at media days with something that insane? All weekend long, I didn’t really want to bring it up. Finally, on Tuesday or Wednesday I started getting texts from people going ‘you’re not going to believe what’s about to happen.’ Even after I heard it, I still didn’t believe it. I go so far back to 2010, 2011, during that period when Texas was being wooed by the Pac 12. All my Texas friends said ‘we want to go west, we’re really not interested in you folks.’ I said that’s fine, we’ll go grab A&M.
After having said all that, I have never been more excited about anything in the SEC. It was simply the biggest moment that I’ve ever experienced the next week when the commissioner finally announced it. I’m excited about Oklahoma too, but there’s just nothing like the University of Texas.”
Finebaum on Texas vs. Alabama
“I think it’s the biggest game since 2011 when we had a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between LSU (and Alabama). That was literally the biggest game I’ve ever seen. LeBron James could not even get a box. He was scrounging for a seat in the President’s Club, which by the way is not as impressive as it sounds. It’s a couple hundred people who then grabbed pimento cheese sandwiches.
I normally kind of go lowkey the night before the game because you don’t know, (it’s) a college town. I may have said something that upset somebody. A couple of friends of mine came up from Birmingham and we went out and grabbed something. We’re walking back to the car and we noticed people on the roof of the hotel. It just so happened to be a hotel owned by Nick Saban. I said, ‘let’s go up there.’
They said, ‘you think we can get in?’
I said, ‘we’ll figure it out.’
We went up, and as we were walking in the lobby somebody waved at me and I walked over. There’s this private room where Greg Abbott and his entourage (were), and he called us over. We’re chatting. We walk over to the outside rooftop bar, which is all Longhorns. Listen, I’ve been on Wall Street. I’ve been in Beverly Hills. I don’t know whether there were 60 or 70 people. I’ve never been around more money in my entire life.
There’s SEC money and there is Texas money. We had a blast, back and forth. I saw (Chris) Del Conte walk out to go to the elevator, (and) the president of Texas. There were no Alabama people there. The Texas people were just reveling in it, which I was really gratified to see. I wasn’t 100 percent sure how this relationship between Texas people and Alabama people worked. I think the Alabama people were so intimidated that the Texas people would buy them out. They were nice to them.”
Finebaum on Jimbo Fisher
“I made a vow to stay away from Jimbo as long as I could this year because it was all about Bobby Petrino. I think we found they got rid of the wrong coordinator. The defensive side of the ball seems to be the problem now.
My theory that I espoused the other day was as long as the Longhorns are down, Jimbo has a longer leash. But if Texas is really back, and guys I think they are and you know more than I do, that puts so much more pressure (on Fisher).
I’ve been around A&M now for some time, the dynamics. They were feeling so great because they left the Big 12. They left the Longhorns. They didn’t have to live in that shadow, and then they had such a phenomenal beginning. I remember my first year at ESPN, the SEC Network had not yet begun. This is the reverse of how it usually works, they stuck me on College GameDay. The third week of the year, where were we? I was in College Station, and I did this editorial about how this is ‘it.’ With (Johnny) Manziel and Alabama coming in town today, this is the ‘it’ program in the state. You go down the road to Texas and Mack Brown is fighting for his job. It turned out he lost that night, I think to Ole Miss.
It’s just amazing to think about how little progress that (A&M) program has made down there. Then, the Longhorns come in and essentially take away their advantage of being in the SEC. I think they’re at a tipping point. I don’t think they’re as bad as they looked against Miami, but with Arkansas in two weeks, and Alabama, and Tennessee, that’s a three-game stretch that will easily define Jimbo Fisher’s future.
People have said, what about $70 million? Guys, come on. $70 million in Texas? That’s what you settle up after a round of golf.”
Finebaum on conference realignment and Texas’ place in it
“We all knew at some point Texas was going somewhere. They were on the prowl, whether west, east, north, or south. I think they made the right move. Texas could have easily fit in the Big 10. It’s that valuable of a brand, but I think the SEC is better for them.
I get labeled that I’ll praise the SEC if it loses every game. That’s not true.
Texas is a standalone. I don’t need to tell you guys that. The audience already knows it. But the SEC was a natural fit, and I think the most important thing is Texas is not slouching into the SEC with what happened Saturday in Tuscaloosa. That just sent out a clarion call to everyone. The jokes about Texas being back are overdone, but this is the real deal.
You didn’t just make Nick Saban look bad. You made him look old. You pushed him, he looked like the heavyweight champion after losing to a challenger. He could barely talk. Saban, the greatest coach of all time, was talking about what a privilege it is after the game to play in a game like that. He’s only played in 9 million. What, he’s played in 10 national championship games? One at LSU and nine (at Alabama)? And Saturday night in September is a privilege to play in? It’s a sense that he knows it’s almost over.”
Finebaum on Texas’ fit in the SEC
“If you go back two years ago, all the noise A&M made. Remember John Sharp? By Saturday, it was over. Greg Sankey buttoned it up. Juxtapose that with what we just got through watching in Tallahassee. I used a very old reference the other day and a lot of my friends didn’t know what I was talking about. It reminded me about the toga party in Animal House where everyone just goes crazy on the college campus. You don’t do that. That’s not how you get into the Southeastern Conference — by openly speaking out against your league.
I don’t blame them for being unhappy in the ACC, but A&M didn’t go that route. They talked for a couple of days and then they shut up. You know they didn’t want Texas in, but it was a unanimous vote as crazy as that sounds. Nobody has said a word since then, and that’s how the SEC operates. Can you always hold that together? Maybe not, but that’s the magic and majesty of Greg Sankey right now.”
Finebaum on the Hook ‘Em sign
“I got in trouble two years ago, and you guys may remember it, in Fayetteville when Texas played there. We did picks on the SEC Nation show and I grabbed the Texas helmet and threw it into the ground. Arkansas won that game, and I did a horns down or whatever.
I didn’t even know how to do that! What did Chris Del Conte do? He sent ESPN a bill (for the helmet) for $375. I’m trying to figure out if a 138-pound guy throwing a helmet down into a driveway is going to do damage, what’s a 390-pound lineman going to do when he crashes into the quarterback’s helmet? (Arkansas athletic director) Hunter Yurachek did offer to pay us back the money anytime I wanted to do it. I saw Del Conte in Destin and he laughed about it. I really do like him very much.”
