SEC analyst Paul Finebaum puts Michigan above Georgia after the National Championship game: "If you want to be the champion, beat Alabama"

Paul Finebaum has been with the SEC Network since it launched in August 2014. However, he covered Southeastern Conference teams long before the sports network started. That’s why he puts SEC teams above everyone else.

However, he changed his heart after the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies to win the National Championship. Finebaum surprisingly declared Jim Harbaugh’s squad as the best team in the country because they have done something that the Georgia Bulldogs couldn’t.

---

Paul Finebaum believes Alabama is the litmus test for other college football teams

In a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up, lead host Mike Greenberg asked Paul Finebaum:

"If Georgia was in that, who's hoisting the trophy last night?"

Without hesitation, Finebaum replied, to Greenberg’s surprise:

"Michigan. I have said all along, I think Georgia was the best team in the country and after last night, I changed my mind. I say this to Georgia: if you want to be the champion, beat Alabama. Quit losing to them. And ultimately, the best team is the National Champion."

It’s a surprising response for a college football analyst who has covered the SEC for decades. Paul Finebaum also wrote the book “I Hate Michigan: 303 Reasons Why You Should, Too” in 1995.

However, the Georgia Bulldogs fell out of a potential third consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearance after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2023 SEC Championship, ending their 29-game winning streak.

Conversely, that victory propelled Nick Saban’s crew to the fourth seed while Georgia fell sixth behind Florida State.

But Michigan defeated Alabama in the Rose Bowl after stopping quarterback Jalen Milroe short of the goal line on fourth down. The Wolverines then dominated the Washington Huskies for the national title thanks to 303 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

---

Jim Harbaugh earned a fan in Paul Finebaum

Finebaum is a University of Tennessee graduate who also hosted a successful radio program in Birmingham, Alabama. Therefore, his SEC affinity runs deep. But after watching Michigan dominate Washington, Paul Finebaum said about Jim Harbaugh:

"I was cheering for him last night, and I can't explain it. I'm sure it's some weird thing back when I was a baby or something. But I don't know if I've ever been more wrong about anything in my entire life. I didn't think the guy would ever beat Ohio State."

“I think Jim Harbaugh has silenced all those who doubted him in the in the early days. I'm not talking about what's happened this year. That's a whole different story. But in the end, he has proven everyone wrong.”

Harbaugh, a Michigan alum, led the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997 and 12 in total. They won the biggest game in college football after losing six consecutive bowl games. It’s an achievement that analysts like Finebaum cannot take away.