Paul Finebaum Says This College Football Team Has 'No Faults,' And It's Not Alabama
If you say that a certain college football team has no faults, most would assume you're talking about Alabama in any given year. That's not always the case, but taking that assumption is normally pretty safe.
Paul Finebaum has another program in mind, however. The ESPN talk show host believes there are flaws to some of the usual top contenders, such as the Crimson Tide, Clemson and even Georgia. Oklahoma, on the other hand? Finebaum doesn't see it.
“I think you have to be (on this bandwagon),” Finebaum said on WJOX, per 247Sports. “And there will be some … pick them No. 1 in the country, and I can see that. There are some faults with Clemson. There are some minor faults with Alabama, Georgia — the obvious fault being Georgia. And Oklahoma, you can’t find any. And the schedule is pretty good. I think their big non-conference game is at home and nobody’s going to get too concerned about Texas anymore.”
A lot is going to depend on star quarterback Spencer Rattler. Though he was a five-star, top high school prospect coming out, there have been some inconsistencies to his game. But the opportunity is absolutely there, and with Lincoln Riley at the helm, there's no reason to think that Rattler and the Sooners won't make the most of it.
There also needs to be continued growth on defense. We saw significant improvement from that unit in 2020, but there's still work that needs to be done. Replacing Ronnie Perkins won't be easy, but edge rusher Nik Bonitto is one of the most underrated defenders in the country.
That's at least a good start.
The Big 12 is usually a manageable road to the College Football Playoff for Oklahoma. Iowa State will be a major obstacle though, and some believe that Texas will improve immediately under Steve Sarkisian. If the Sooners make their way into the Final Four this year, they will have earned it.
It's a good thing there aren't many flaws, at least according to Finebaum.
Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.