He's locked in his pick.
Paul Finebaum Names What Team Will Win the College Football Playoff Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 college football season will begin in less than two weeks. ESPN's Paul Finebaum and other national pundits are already sharing their predictions for the upcoming season.
The biggest question is: which team will win the national championship? Will the Ohio State Buckeyes repeat their success or will a new contender emerge? According to ESPN BET, both Ohio State and the Texas Longhorns have the best odds at +550. They are followed closely by the Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs and Clemson Tigers.
When asked which team he believes will win the national championship this upcoming season, Finebaum stated on the "Netflix Sports Club" that he is choosing Texas, led by head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning.
"I believe Texas is going to win it," Finebaum said. "I didn't mean to avoid your question. It's going to end all of this, and on January 20, I'll be the happiest man in America because I won't have to listen to the Big Tenners or, as my callers call them, the Little Tenners."
Paul Finebaum Is an Arch Manning Believer
Manning is essential for Texas, much like quarterbacks are for their teams. Finebaum strongly believes in Manning due to his faith in Sarkisian.
“You buy stocks on what you think they’re going to be worth,” Finebaum previously said. “I’m giving comments, and others are as well on Arch, in terms of what we don’t know. Everybody knows the same thing you just told us. That wasn’t breaking news that he had a tough game. So did other people. But Steve Sarkisian believes in the guy, and I believe in Steve Sarkisian.”
Manning has had limited playing time in his two seasons in Austin. He has recorded a total of 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Most of his production came during a three-game stretch last season when the starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, was injured. During that time, Manning threw for 806 yards and eight touchdowns against the University of Texas-San Antonio Road Runners, Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Paul Finebaum Thinks Texas Could Have a Near-Perfect Season
Finebaum believes Texas is close to going undefeated, but there are several games he thinks might pose a challenge.
“I would go with 11-1,” Finebaum previously said. “I’m sure you are curious which one of the games Texas would lose. I think there are a couple of possibilities: at Florida, clearly at Georgia, I think, one of those two could be a possibility. It’s a tricky schedule. I think Georgia and Florida are the two toughest games. I think Oklahoma could be pretty close after that.”
Finebaum stated that Texas will begin the season against the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he firmly believes the Longhorns will win that game.
Texas Has to Reload After Losing Several Key Pieces
National pundits are optimistic about Texas this season, but there are several uncertainties surrounding the Longhorns. The team is undergoing significant roster changes and has lost a substantial amount of production from last year. Texas ranks No. 103 in returning production, with only 29 percent of its offensive players returning. This positions them at No. 126 in terms of returning offensive production.
The Longhorns have lost four of their top six receivers, their second-leading rusher and four of the five starting offensive linemen. On defense, Texas lost Jahdae Barron, the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award which is given to the nation's top defensive back.
Manning's first start of the 2025 season will be against the Buckeyes on the road. This rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal is scheduled for noon ET on August 30.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names The Four Best Teams In College Football Without Hesitation
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
