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Oct 25, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) warms up before a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum slams Florida State QB’s comments about Alabama

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 3:41 PM ET

It's safe to say that the relationship between Florida State fans and ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum has soured, if it was ever sweet to begin with. From the playoff snub commentary to the SEC praise paraded like a victory banner, Finebaum’s commentary on the Seminoles has rarely been charitable. At best, it borders on polite disdain; at worst, it can feel like an orchestrated dig.

FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos recently made headlines discussing Florida State's season opener against Alabama in a manner that some might describe as confident. He mentioned Alabama being without head coach Nick Saban and the dream of "moments like this."

Well, in Finebaum fashion, the ESPN pundit took to the radio waves on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning to criticize Castellanos' comments, calling them obvious and "low-hanging fruit."

“You have one guy that popped off (Castellanos), and I think what he did was he just took low-hanging fruit," Finebaum said. "What I mean by that is you’re going with the most obvious thing about Alabama, and that’s Nick Saban, and you just crash the piñata with your baseball bat."

Opinions range from "Yeah, ok." to "woah, don't give them ammo" and end up somewhere in the middle, given Castellanos' record with not only FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, but as an experienced quarterback. Still, Finebaum said he laughed at the idea.

“When I saw it yesterday, I laughed. Some people in the media love stuff like that, but I think it’s a terrible look for him and for the university," Finebaum continued. "Does it make people mad? Of course. But we’re also sitting here on June 24th, when most of the news cycle has dried up and won’t change dramatically. So, a story like that metastasizes.”

While comments like those can backfire, they do, in any case, make the stakes a little higher for both teams. Florida State aims to prove that last year's 2-10 season was an anomaly, and Alabama seeks to rebound from a 9-4 year under new head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Again bordering on polite disdain, Finebaum took an underhanded jab at the Seminoles.

“And I think it matters. Some people say these things don’t matter, but I know one thing: every Alabama player has read it. They didn’t really need motivation, it’s the first game of the season, but the motivation comes from the perception that Florida State sucks. They had the worst season that any major team has probably ever had, and even somebody like me who’d normally respect a game (like Alabama vs. FSU)," Finebaum said. "It’s impossible for me to respect Florida State, and his comment just made it even worse.”

Finebaum may see Castellanos' confidence as misguided, but that’s the nature of the offseason. Bold predictions, manufactured jabs, and bulletin board material drive the media bandwagon until kickoff.

If the Seminoles can back up their quarterback's words come August 30, it won't be just Alabama taking notice, but the rest of the country, too.