In many ways, newly-bloated conferences have dampened the fervor of regional rivalries, but with realignment ravaging college sports and threatening to dismantle any league if it’s not careful, the tensions between the conferences have never run hotter. TV networks have made their allegiances clear, and in some cases, that’s left TV personalities as either the mouthpiece of the league or the favorite punching bag of its detractors, depending on your perspective.
Well, everyone knows that the loudest voice in the SEC media is Paul Finebaum. So, after unranked Florida State knocked off No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee on Saturday, wrestling legend Ric Flair, who attended the University of Minnesota and therefore is aligned with the Big Ten and against the SEC, took direct aim.
Well, Mr. @finebaum, I Guess You Lose Again. Florida State Beat Alabama. Another Bad Prediction On Your Part. Do You Know How Hurtful It Is To Call People Like @LincolnRiley, @CoachJim4UM, And @ryandaytime Out By Name When You Are So Far Off The Mark. Smarten Up! You’re 0-2 So… pic.twitter.com/J8Z6rWFGmN
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) August 30, 2025
It wasn’t the first time that Finebaum fell into Flair’s crosshairs on Saturday. Flair began Week 1 by firing away at Finebaum over his incorrect prediction for the Ohio State and Texas game, taking the No. 1 Longhorns to beat the No. 3 Buckeyes. Another SEC and Big Ten matchup.
On that charge, Flair took to X and wrote, “Dear Mr. Finebaum, as usual you are the most absurd and incompetent analyst in all of college football. I’ll take Heather Dinich any day over you. You should be expelled from ESPN. Every time I see you on the TV, I turn it off. You have 22,000 followers. I have 9.3 million followers.”
The media didn’t believe Florida State could upset Alabama in Week 1
Finebaum was particularly confident in his prediction that Alabama would beat Florida State throughout the week, so while he’s not a lifelong Seminole, having the Nature Boy hop on the ACC and FSU bandwagon will likely be welcomed by plenty of FSU fans.
Finebaum isn’t the only member of the media who will be asked to eat crow after FSU’s upset victory. For Lee Corso’s final show on ESPN’s College Gameday, Corso, who played football and baseball at FSU, was the only member of the panel to pick the Seminoles.
Of course, Corso was correct in his prediction and nailed his final headgear pick, going with Brutus over Bevo in Columbus.