Paul Finebaum picks two "terrible" teams in college football heading into 2025

Paul Finebaum is one of the most respected voices in college football commentary. The veteran analyst has been covering the sport for decades, and he knows a thing or two about preseason contenders and pretenders.

Finebaum hardly holds back when it comes to making takes, and he's made a significant take ahead of the 2025 NCAA season. The veteran analyst believes that Southern California and UCLA are in terrible situations going into 2025.

According to Athlon Sports, Finebaum said,

"Southern Cal and UCLA are terrible".

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who follows Paul Finebaum's commentary. The veteran CFB analyst has gone on record, labelling USC head coach Lincoln Riley a disaster. As for the UCLA Bruins, they endured a dicey 2024 season under new head coach DeShaun Foster.

As for contenders, Paul Finebaum considers the Big Ten to be the conference to watch.

Finebaum stated that the conference is much more than the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes. So, while USC and UCLA are in a tough spot, the Big Ten might slowly but surely take over the crown from the SEC as the most dominant conference in collegiate football.

Will USC and UCLA prove Paul Finebaum wrong in 2025?

The USC Trojans had an iffy 2024 regular season. They compiled a 6-6 regular season record before beating the Texas A&M Aggies in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojans lost winnable games against the Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Maryland Terrapins and Washington Huskies.

Winning those games could have given Lincoln Riley's side the chance to make the expanded college football playoff. Instead, the team largely underperformed and goes into the 2025 season with loads of expectations and pressure.

Riley's squad can prove Finebaum wrong by winning when supposed to and putting up a stronger fight against superior opposition.

UCLA had an even more forgettable season in 2024. The Bruins ended the regular season with a 5-7 record, thereby ending any hopes of appearing in a bowl game.

The program needs to avoid the defensive lapses that cost them so dearly in 2024. Furthermore, another five-game losing streak like the one they endured from September to mid-October most likely will not occur in 2025.

Once the UCLA Bruins can shore up their defense and remain creative on the offensive end, they could prove Finebaum wrong.