Paul Finebaum makes his pick for the best team in college football clear

We’re getting closer to the 2025 college football season as preseason magazines hit the shelves and experts are looking to determine what might be the No. 1 team in the country.

But for Paul Finebaum, the answer to that question is obvious.

“Well, that’s pretty boring, but I’m sticking with Texas,” Finebaum said on ESPN recently. “They just have it all across the board.”

Texas is certainly in position to strike after two straight seasons of making the College Football Playoff, culminating in last year’s close loss to Ohio State in the semifinal game.

It was the runner-up for the SEC championship in the program’s first year in the conference and returns one of college football’s most promising rosters.

And that’s not just because of quarterback Arch Manning, although the former No. 1 overall recruit carries a ton of expectations with that name on the back of his jersey.

More ... Arch Manning, Texas will beat Ohio State in Week 1, Finebaum predicts

ESPN’s College Football Power Index computer models also favor the Longhorns as the best team in the country, and the odds-on favorite to win the national championship.

Texas also secured one of the most talented transfer portal classes in the country this offseason, with key offensive additions like former Stanford wide receiver Emmett Mosley and ex-Cal tight end Jack Endries, two valuable targets for Manning to work with.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns also secured what is considered the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the nation, according to an average of the four national recruiting services, a haul that includes 25 commitments, of whom five are named as five-star prospects.

“Now, some of these people reading magazines at the grocery store are going, ‘How can you say that? Because they’ve had to replace so many skill position players?’” Finebaum said.

“That’s all true. Just watch the NFL Draft. But Steve Sarkisian has recruited, and he has mined the portal better than anyone in the land, so his roster is superb.”

Texas has its first chance to prove itself on the road against national champion Ohio State on Aug. 30.

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