Paul Finebaum updates his top 4 teams after Week 11

Paul Finebaum is out with his top 4 with explanations for how he has the College Football Playoff contenders assembled.

During his regular Sunday morning appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Finebaum ranked his top 4 this way:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Florida State

Georgia is an easy call for No. 1, Finebaum said, and while Ohio State looked good in a win over Michigan State on Saturday, the Bulldogs were dominant against a better team in Ole Miss.

“To me, Georgia was so good last night,” he said. “Georgia plays its best in the big games. They did it against Kentucky, they’ve done it a couple of other times this year, and they did it last week against Missouri, they did it last night.”

The decision on Nos. 1 and 2 is a debate for some, but not Finebaum, who said the Buckeyes are the clear No. 2.

“Anybody who thinks they’re the No. 1 team in the country is kidding themselves,” he said. “They’re very good. They have maybe the best player in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr. But they are No. 2.”

Finebaum acknowledged that Michigan should be higher, but not until it faces Ohio State, he said.

Finebaum on Florida State said the Seminoles were not impressive in some eyes, but he admits the Miami game is a huge rivalry for the Seminoles, and FSU survived.

For his file team, Finebaum said you could argue convincingly that Alabama is one of the 4 best teams in the country.

Keith Farner

Keith Farner has written about college football for newspapers and web sites since 2005.