Paul Finebaum doesn't expect the honeymoon period in Columbus to last long.
The SEC Network host made a bol prediction that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day could struggle this season to return another high-priced roster back to the College Football Playoff. Finebaum also spoke about losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 because of Arch Manning as a formality.
“I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback, but I like everything about him, and I think you said something," Finebaum said on ESPN's "Get Up."
"The Manning name matters, but it isn’t going to matter on that field in a couple of weeks at Ohio State. The experience of being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener.
“I don’t like Ohio State. I think Ohio State is going to lose in the opener against Texas, and they are going to struggle to make the playoffs, let alone win it all.”
New NIL rules could change the game slightly for OSU. In August, the new house settlement will go into effect, and it's unclear if the juggernauts of the country like Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia are playing by the rules -- the other headline juggernaut, Michigan, has been confirmed not to play by the rules.
Were the numbers these schools threw around lies? Some recruits may get clarity on that popular college football conspiracy in a few weeks and hit the portal before the season starts, just ahead of the summer transfer window closing on August 5.
If Ohio State is one of those schools, Finebaum has a point. And if Jim Knowles was the glue that made everything fit in leading that legendary defense last year, then he really has a point.
Otherwise, Finebaum may have to adjust with the times and realize Day has something that could be sustainable beyond what the talking head is implying could've been a flash-in-the-pan year in 2024.