Paul Finebaum Names SEC Contender That Can't Win a National Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Several teams narrowly missed their opportunity to qualify for the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season.

This past season was notable as it marked the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format. One of the teams that fell short was the South Carolina Gamecocks, who finished the season with a record of 9-4.

A key contributor to the Gamecocks last season was quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The redshirt sophomore passed for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, achieving a completion rate of 65.6%. Additionally, he rushed for 674 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns.

During an episode of "The Paul Finebaum Show," an SEC Network analyst was asked whether Sellers could lead the Gamecocks to a national championship.

"He is good enough," Finebaum said. "I would probably take the under on that. I don't think it will happen. It's not a matter of being negative ... I just wonder if he has enough around him to get to a national championship game."

Finebaum expressed confidence in Sellers' ability to lead a team to a national championship, but he noted that quarterbacks shouldn’t shoulder too much responsibility. While he believes a star quarterback can win individual games, he feels it’s challenging for them to carry a team to a national title.

South Carolina enters the season with high expectations after narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff last year, finishing No. 15 in the final CFP rankings. However, ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) has a less optimistic outlook, ranking South Carolina as the ninth-best team in the SEC and predicting a 7-5 record for the upcoming season.

The FPI gives the Gamecocks a 1.8% chance of winning the SEC and a 20.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff. One of the significant hurdles for the team is the loss of production from last season, as South Carolina ranks No. 71 in returning production, with only 56% of its players back.

This is particularly concerning on the defensive side, where the team returns just 46% of its production. Key losses include running back Raheim Sanders and defensive end Kyle Kennard, both of whom are now in the NFL.

Sanders rushed for 881 yards with 11 touchdowns last season, adding 316 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Kennard was a standout on defense, finishing with a team-leading 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

The Gamecocks will kick off their season against the Virginia Tech Hokies at 3:00 p.m. on Aug. 31.

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

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