Paul Finebaum rips 'drunk' CFP rankings over Alabama-Tennessee mess.

Paul Finebaum blasted the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season on Wednesday, calling the committee’s evaluation process “discombobulated” and saying the rankings made no sense.

Finebaum appeared on ESPN’s Get Up to react to the initial top 25, which was released Tuesday night.

The rankings placed the Miami Hurricanes at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2, Utah at No. 3 and Indiana at No. 4.

Alabama checked in at No. 5 with a 6-2 record.

Tennessee, also 6-2, entered the rankings at No. 13.

The Volunteers defeated Alabama 26-10 on October 18 at Neyland Stadium.

Finebaum focused on that head-to-head result as the core of his argument.

“Alabama has no business being where they are,” Finebaum said on Get Up.

“That is truly absurd to have Alabama that far ahead of Tennessee, a team that just disemboweled them a couple weeks ago in Neyland Stadium.”

He did not stop there.

“It is about as discombobulated a ranking as I have ever seen,” Finebaum said.

“I would use words like the committee was drunk, but that would be inappropriate for such an august group of people. But it really doesn’t make any sense.”

The comment about the committee being “drunk” drew immediate attention.

ESPN hosts did not dwell on the remark, but Finebaum’s point was clear.

He argued that the eight-position gap between Alabama and Tennessee could not be justified by any metric other than the committee’s own subjective weighting.

The College Football Playoff selection committee uses a set of criteria to rank teams.

Those criteria include strength of schedule, results against quality opponents, conference championships and head-to-head competition.

According to committee chair Hunter Yurachek, head-to-head results become especially relevant when teams are grouped closely in the evaluation process.

Alabama and Tennessee share the same overall record.

Both teams play in the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee holds a direct victory over Alabama.

Despite that, the committee placed Alabama eight spots higher.

Finebaum argued that the head-to-head result should carry decisive weight in this comparison.

Alabama’s schedule includes several challenging opponents, which may explain why the committee views the Crimson Tide favorably.

The Crimson Tide lost to Georgia 20-17 earlier this season in a game that came down to the final minutes.

Alabama also defeated Mississippi State 56-23 on the road, though Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor was limited by injury during that game.

Alabama beat Texas A&M 31-20, though the Aggies have fallen to 4-4 after starting the season ranked No. 8.

Tennessee’s schedule also includes quality opponents.

The Volunteers lost to Georgia earlier in the season.

But Tennessee’s win over Alabama remains the most direct data point between the two teams.

Finebaum’s criticism reflects a broader debate about how the committee balances overall résumé strength against head-to-head results.

The committee has historically stated that no single factor is automatic.

A head-to-head victory does not guarantee a higher ranking in every circumstance.

But the scale of the separation in this case has drawn widespread scrutiny.

Finebaum is known as “the voice of the SEC” and has a long history of blunt commentary on college football matters.

He has never been one to pull punches when it comes to his opinions, especially as they relate to football in the southern United States.

His remarks on Get Up were among the most pointed of the day.

The timing of the controversy matters.

Both Alabama and Tennessee play important games this weekend.

Alabama travels to face No. 14 LSU.

Tennessee meets No. 6 Kentucky.

Those games will provide additional evidence for the committee to evaluate before the next rankings are released.

A strong Alabama victory could reinforce its current position.

A Tennessee victory over a higher-ranked opponent could strengthen the Volunteers’ case.

The committee’s next set of rankings will be released next week.

Until then, the debate over the initial rankings will continue.