If you’re a frequent Twitter user, you’re probably used to people labeling opposing schools’ titles as “fraudulent” or putting an asterisk next to just about any rival’s accomplishment. That said, these are just Twitter jokes that everyone understands to be lighthearted and meaningless. Well, ESPN host Paul Finebaum — a talking head for the network who has been extremely critical of Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines over the years — publicly took things a step further today. Finebaum now says that he simply won’t acknowledge a Michigan football national title if the Maize and Blue are to win it all this season.
This ESPN host won’t acknowledge a Michigan football national title run
Another day, another ridiculous take on Michigan football from Paul Finebaum. In fact, if you think his latest antics against U-M are bad, just wait and see how bad things get if the Wolverines are still in College Football Playoff (owned by ESPN) contention by the time December rolls around.
What did Paul Finebaum say about Jim Harbaugh & Co. now?
On Thursday, the ESPN host and college football analyst/talking head publicly said that if Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh are to win it all this year, claiming the program’s first national title since 1997, he won’t even acknowledge that the Maize and Blue are champions.
“They did something wrong — whether (Jim Harbaugh) ordered it or not, he is responsible,” Paul Finebaum said on the Dan Patrick Show. “… Something should be done, and frankly, I don’t think a three-game suspension is that big of a deal, even considering the weight of next week’s game (against Ohio State). … Whether (the investigation) goes anywhere from here — it probably won’t because the NCAA is not really equipped any longer to do an investigation under three or four years.
“… I will refuse to recognize Michigan as the national champs,” the ESPN talking head said. “I was taught that athletics should be an even playing field, and to me, (the Wolverines) are not subscribing to that.”
Expect this noise to get louder as the title games get closer
So, another day passes with Paul Finebaum and others publicly trying to sway their audience against Michigan football. As the national title gets closer, and the possibility of Jim Harbaugh hoisting a Big Ten title and CFP National Championship Trophy above his head gets more and more real for his adamant critics, expect this chatter about Michigan to get even louder.
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