Paul Finebaum Names Five College Football Teams That Can Win the National Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Anticipation for the 2025 college football season is building, as we are now two months away from kickoff.

This season marks the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format. Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes won the inaugural 12-team playoff. This year, other teams hope to claim the title.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum, often referred to as the "Mouth of the South," is known for his strong support of the SEC conference through his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," which airs on the SEC Network.

Finebaum has a reputation for making bold predictions regarding players, coaches and programs. Recently, when asked about his pick for the national championship in 2025, he identified five teams that he believes are at the forefront of contention for the title.

"I'm starting to think who I would put in there," Finebaum said. "I'm going to go through a couple of names: Texas, Alabama, Oregon, Penn State and Clemson. I totally agree with you."

However, ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) reveals a different perspective. The FPI is designed to measure team strength and predict future performance. According to the FPI, the top five favorites for the 2025 national championship are Texas, the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama and Penn State.

Although Finebaum's rankings differ, he is not far off. Clemson and Oregon, which he included in his top five, rank within the top seven according to the FPI.

All the teams Finebaum mentioned have strengths that could work to their advantage. Texas, Alabama and Oregon are among the four most talented teams, despite not returning their quarterbacks from the previous season. Texas returns only 45% of its production, ranking No. 103. Alabama leads with 63% production return, ranking No. 35, while Oregon has the lowest at 43%, placing No. 109.

In contrast, Penn State and Clemson bring back a significant amount of production, including their quarterbacks, Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik. Penn State returns 63% of its production, while Clemson boasts an impressive 81%, the highest in the country.

Now it will be up to these teams to navigate the season and see if they can make a serious run at the national championship.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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