Paul Finebaum. © Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Program That Won't Win Its Conference

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 2:00 PM ET

As anticipation builds for the 2025 college football season, predictions are emerging regarding which teams will win their conferences and the national championship.

One team looking to achieve both is the Miami Hurricanes. Last season, Miami finished with a record of 10-3, marking its best performance since 2017. However, the Hurricanes will need to replace star quarterback Cam Ward, who was selected as the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Despite this challenge, there is much excitement in Miami following the signing of former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck, one of the top players in the transfer portal. During his two seasons as a starter at Georgia, Beck threw for 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.

Unfortunately for Beck, his season was cut short last year due to an injury sustained in the SEC Championship Game against the Texas Longhorns. In that game, the Bulldogs triumphed 22-19 but ultimately lost to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23-10 in the College Football Playoff.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum was asked about Miami's chances of winning nine or more games this season and securing the ACC championship.

"I think Miami will go nine plus," Finebaum said. "I don't think they'll win the ACC. I do believe Clemson will. I don't see a lot of losses on Miami's schedule, but maybe one or two."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) measures team strength and aims to predict a team's future performance for the rest of the season. This year, the FPI is highly favorable towards Miami, ranking them as the No. 9 team in college football. Interestingly, the FPI ranks Miami higher than Clemson, which is placed at No. 11.

However, both the FPI and Finebaum agree on the chances of winning the ACC, with Clemson having a 34% chance and Miami a 30.5% chance. Additionally, the FPI gives Clemson a slightly better chance of making the College Football Playoff, with probabilities of 47.3% for Clemson compared to 46.3% for Miami.

Miami will open its season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

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