Paul Finebaum Says Major Big Ten Program Will "Unravel" Week 1

College football analyst Paul Finebaum weighed in on one of the newest Big Ten members during Tuesday's First Take discussion on ESPN.

Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA all left the Pac-12 this past offseason. Before conference play begins in the Big Ten, Oregon and Washington will kick off against FCS opponents, UCLA will play Hawaii, and USC will open its season with LSU. Of these matchups, one stands out and headlines the college football opening weekend.

That being USC vs. LSU, of course, which kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Las Vegas. As excited as fans are to tune into an opening weekend heavyweight battle, Finebaum thinks things will go south for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans awfully quickly.

"I think that's where it starts to unravel for Lincoln (Riley)," Finebaum said on First Take when discussing USC's week 1 Vegas bout with No. 13 LSU.

He described Riley as "average" while stating LSU's Brian Kelly "can be elite at times."

"People will be able to turn off the TV and go to sleep early that night because it won't be that close."

Both USC and LSU have lost significant talent. Each team's starting quarterback went one and two in the 2024 NFL draft. Despite this, Finebaum expressed how little confidence he has in the Trojans.

Before the 2023 season, Lincoln Riley had never lost more than three games in a season. However, in 2023, he lost five. It remains uncertain whether Riley can lead a program to a national championship. Paul Finebaum certainly doubts it.

USC enters the upcoming season ranked 23 in the preseason AP Poll and will face three teams in the top 10: Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame.

The Trojans will have Miller Moss at quarterback, a redshirt junior who turned heads at last season's Holiday Bowl. With Caleb Williams prepping for the NFL draft, Moss got the start throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns.