What did Paul Finebaum say today? Nick Saban heartburn, 2024 SEC schedule, CFP anger

The world of college football keeps turning towards bowl season and the College Football Playoff, but the main character of this week was the SEC with the release of the much-anticipated 2024 schedule.

Long-time SEC analyst Paul Finebaum has made his thoughts on just about every big topic of the week, including lingering rumblings over the CFP selection committee and the top stories to come out of the SEC schedule.

What's Finebaum saying now?

Paul Finebaum on "fake outrage" over CFP leaving out Florida State

A lot of people are upset about Florida State being left out of the College Football Playoff. Finebaum is not one of them, and frankly, he thinks those in the media who are in an uproar are being fake.

“I never get too upset, or maybe upset at all, about what I read on Twitter, because I realize those are people who can’t get into your show, or any other show, just expressing themselves. But more from just, people in the industry, people who do understand how the CFP is developed and designed. To me, it is just complete and unadulterated fake outrage," Finebaum said, H/T Awful Announcing. "It’s part of where we are in society, where people without any facts, without any information, just gravitate to an issue, embrace it, squeeze it, and just regurgitate whatever the talking points are. I’m glad we’re not eight days past it. But it’s still out there, and I think it’s one of those narratives that just simply gets created, and never leaves. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not.”

As terrible as it was to leave out an undefeated ACC champion, Finebaum thinks leaving out Alabama would have been much worse.

“At no point have I heard anyone say, ‘Well, what if we reversed it? What would you have to say about Alabama,’ as if they didn’t do anything to get in? To me, they did. They just didn’t have the Jordan Travis situation, and we’re going to hold them hostage for playing a very difficult schedule, and then dealing with the biggest and baddest team in the country and beating them in Georgia. I just think that’s a complete travesty," Finebaum said.

Paul Finebaum on the return of "religious experience for Texas A&M vs. Texas

There are a bunch of games on the 2024 SEC schedule that deserve to be circled as must-watch matchups. Texas A&M vs. Texas is sure to be one of them.

The Longhorns are gearing up for the College Football Playoff. They've got other things on their mind right now. For Finebaum though, the Texas game will consume minds in College Station for the next 11 months or so.

“I think at least to the Aggies, nothing means more,” Finebaum said via On3. “This is just the most important game in the world to them. Texas has so many of these games. Forget the trip to Michigan. I mean, they go to Arkansas, they have so many that will pile up. But for the Aggies, this game will be circled. It will be almost a religious experience.”

A&M opens the 2024 season with Notre Dame on Aug. 31, but it's their regular-season finale against the Longhorns on Nov. 30 that everyone is waiting for.

Paul Finebaum on Alabama football's 'heartburn-inducing' 2024 schedule

It took everything Alabama had to survive an upset bid from Auburn in the 2023 Iron Bowl. In 2024, they'll have to play their rivalry game under potentially trying circumstances.

The Saturday before they take on Auburn in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will have to travel to Norman to battle the Oklahoma Sooners.

"I've spent a lot of time covering the Iron Bowl — Alabama vs. Auburn — and the idea that Alabama has to go to Oklahoma the week before as opposed to playing Mercer or some other cupcake is extraordinary and I'm sure it will give Nick Saban heartburn tonight," Finebaum said.

In 2023, Alabama played Chattanooga the week before the Iron Bowl, beating them 66-10 while letting key starters essentially take a weekend off.

The last time the Tide played an SEC opponent ahead of Auburn was in 2021. They beat Arkansas 42-35 then had to survive the Tigers in overtime.

In the last 10 years, 2021 and 2020 (when Alabama played an SEC-only schedule) were the only seasons with an SEC game before the Iron Bowl.