The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions are getting ready for the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, which will double as a College Football Playoff semifinal. It’s also a game where each team is going to rely on its star players.

Finebaum believes it was a massive win for the Fighting Irish since they had to go through Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, who he thinks is the best coach in college football . "I think he’s the best coach in college football, but Smart was not very smart in this case," Finebaum said .

Paul Finebaum believes the College Football Playoff has been 'amazing' so far as we head into this week's semifinal showdowns.

Big Ten football fans know that Paul Finebaum doesn’t often go to bat for the conference. Just recently, he was one of the numerous national media members questioning why Indiana made the College Football Playoff after its 27-17 first-round loss to Notre Dame.

Paul Finebaum compared current conversations around Georgia to another SEC powerhouse with high expectations. On Monday's McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum addressed a perception that the SEC is no longer a dominant entity.