ESPN's Paul Finebaum Believes FSU Football Will Finish Unranked In 2024

The disrespect from Finebaum for the Seminoles remains ahead of the 2024 season.

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; SEC network host Paul Finebaum looks on before the 2022 Peach Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyesat Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida State Seminoles recently landed in the preseason AP Poll Top 25, taking the No. 10 spot. This marks the second straight year that the program has begun the season in the top 10. The Seminoles are currently the highest-ranked team in the ACC, with only one team on their schedule (Notre Dame) ranked above them.

It is safe to say that ESPN news pundit Paul Finebaum has never cast the Seminoles in the best light while standing as a knight in shining armor for his beloved SEC. Finebaum recently went on SportsCenter's First Take to give his opinion on the recent rankings, saying that Florida State should not have made the cut and will be unranked at the end of the season.

"Florida State. First of all, they have no business being in the top 10. They have a difficult schedule. First of all, they have Miami and Notre Dame within a three-week period on the road," Finebaum said of which team he thinks will be unranked by the end of 2024. "They end the season with Florida, which is a debatable team. I think they're going to get caught in a run-of-the-mill ACC game this year which they did not encounter last year. They lost the guts of their defense. They have a quarterback who has certainly been around and remains a question mark."

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The Seminoles are set to face Clemson (14) and Miami (19) during the regular season and have the 12th toughest schedule according to College Football Network so the battle to remain in the top-10 by season's end will be a tall order. However, the 'Noles have replenished the 13 starters taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and are projected to be at the top of the ACC and in the College Football Playoff when it is all said and done.

The Seminoles were historically snubbed from last year's playoffs after going 13-0 and winning the ACC, in favor of Alabama and Texas, both of which had blemished records. Adding to his vitriol and constant FSU bashing, Finebaum accused the 'Noles of having a 'hangover' from 'crying about being left out of the playoffs' a season ago.

"And I think they also have a hangover," Finebaum continued. "I think they used up too many tears crying about not getting into the playoffs and that may slow them down a little bit this year."

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes #FSU will finish the 2024 season unranked.

“First of all they have no business being in the top 10.”

“I think they used up too many tears crying about not getting in the playoffs. That may slow them down a little bit this year.” #Noles pic.twitter.com/K2Unq9mf0t

— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) August 13, 2024

Wherever the chips land come December 7, the thoughtless rhetoric from Finebaum will likely continue as he carries on criticizing the Seminoles.

Watch for Florida State as they kick off ACC play during Week '0' when the 'Noles travel to Dublin, Ireland to face off against Georgia Tech on August 24.

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