Paul Finebaum Makes College Football National Championship Prediction

Paul Finebaum Makes College Football National Championship Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Well that's one way to put a massive amount of pressure on an inexperienced quarterback.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Paul Finebaum and Heather Dinich discussed which teams could realistically win the national championship in 2025. Dinich has a lot of confidence in Penn State, but Finebaum doubled down on his belief in the Texas Longhorns this season.

"Heather, you had me until you said number one in the country,” Finebaum said of Dinich choosing the Nittany Lions. "There is no way. Texas is the best team in the country. They are going to win the national championship. There is no way the Big Ten does it three years in a row. And certainly if I had to bet on somebody, I would never bet on James Franklin doing it. He’s a very good coach. He’s not a great coach. Penn State will not win the national championship.”

It's hard to argue against Finebaum's pick for the national title as Texas has one of the most talented rosters in the country. Although quarterback phenom Arch Manning is fairly inexperienced after sitting behind Quinn Ewers the last two years, his potential is through the roof.

The Longhorns will also boast one of the top defenses in the country this season, led by All-Americans Michael Taafee, Anthony Hill Jr., and Colin Simmons.

Texas typically enters each season with high expectations, but after reaching the College Football Playoff semifinal each of the last two years, the confidence in Austin is at an all-time high in 2025.

Related: Greg McElroy Names Team to Beat in SEC Without Hesitation

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.