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SEC Football

Paul Finebaum lists Tennessee, Auburn as programs with momentum entering 2025

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Paul Finebaum isn’t used to talking up any SEC football program right now, in the aftermath of the perennial football powerhouse conference not getting any team in the national title game for the second straight season.

But the ESPN college football analyst was doing just that during his weekly Monday morning appearance on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning show. He was asked which SEC programs had some real momentum going into 2025 despite the perception that the conference is kind of dead at this moment. Not so fast, says Finebaum, calling out Tennessee and, in a bit of a shocker, Auburn as the programs with some punch as the new year begins.

“I think on one level, I like Tennessee because even though we’ve all completely forgotten them because of the loss to Ohio State, I do think the momentum that Josh Heupel has going is very impressive to me,” said Finebaum.

It was one thing for Finebaum to spotlight the Volunteers, who despite that ugly first-round Playoff loss in Columbus did win 10 games in 2024. But then Finebaum pulled a bit of a stunner and called out Auburn, which struggled to a 5-7 record this past season and went just 2-6 in the SEC.

“I’m also strangely bullish, and I don’t think it’s strange, but every time I bring this up, people shoot me down, but I like what I see from Auburn. I like that they went out and landed a QB who can help them even though he didn’t do much at Oklahoma,” said Finebaum, referencing the Tigers getting Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal last month. “And I’m very impressed with the recruiting of Auburn, and I know some people say the state doesn’t matter as much anymore. … I realize all that, but from an internal pride standpoint, what Hugh Freeze is doing is important. He’s still facing a critical season, I’m not washing that away. It won’t matter if he doesn’t have a big year, but I do like the momentum there.”

Cory Nightingale

Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.

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