ESPN analyst has words for SMU Football’s playoff credibility originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Leave it to Paul Finebaum to stir the pot before the first snap of the college football season.
The ESPN analyst, never one to mince words, took aim at SMU football during a recent segment of The Paul Finebaum Show, dismissing the Mustangs’ 2024 College Football Playoff berth as unearned. “Last year, SMU got a third-place ribbon. They had no business being in the CFP,” Finebaum said bluntly.
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The comment has sparked major backlash among Mustangs fans and college football insiders, especially given SMU’s standout first year in the ACC. The Mustangs went 11-3, won the ACC Coastal Division, and went undefeated in regular-season conference play before narrowly falling to Clemson 30-27 in the ACC title game.
Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads his team to the field before the 2024 ACC Championship game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium. :Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Created:
Despite the loss, SMU secured a spot in the expanded 12-team CFP. While their postseason ended with a 38-10 loss to No. 6 Penn State, the selection committee deemed their resume strong enough, especially in a year filled with parity across the Power Four.
Finebaum’s critique raises a larger question: what does it really take for programs outside the traditional elite to be respected?
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With a 2025 slate that includes matchups against Clemson, Louisville, and Miami, and a non-conference gauntlet featuring Baylor and TCU, SMU has a chance to prove last season wasn’t a fluke.
The Mustangs aren’t just playing for wins this fall, they’re playing for national credibility. And thanks to Finebaum, they’ve got bulletin board material before Week 1.
If Finebaum wanted to wake a sleeping giant in Dallas, he may have just succeeded.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
