Paul Finebaum has wild Deion Sanders take that would turn college football upside down

ESPN's Paul Finebaum offered a prediction for Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders that, if it comes true, would turn college football completely upside down.

Finebaum joined ESPN's First Take on Monday to discuss a variety of topics, including the job status of USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.

Riley, who is entering his third season as the head coach at USC after a successful five-year run as the head coach at Oklahoma, is coming off a disappointing 2023 season. And as a result, there are some folks who think Riley is on the hot seat this fall.

The former Texas Tech quarterback went 8-5 at USC last season despite having quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, on the roster.

If Riley and the Trojans don't show improvement in 2024, there could be a change made in Los Angeles. And Finebaum thinks Sanders would be the perfect option to replace Riley.

"I believe the answer (at USC) after this season is Deion Sanders," said Finebaum. "He's going to be tired of Colorado, because, quite frankly, it's not prime time."

"You put Prime in Tinsel Town and I think you have one of the great combinations in history," continued Finebaum. "We just got through talking about LeBron (James). LeBron has owned that town -- as many others before him did -- and I think Deion Sanders as the coach at Southern Cal is the answer to the problem. Lincoln Riley is a good coach, he's got a great résumé. Deion Sanders just exudes exactly what that community is all about."

"Can you imagine a year from today, Deion Sanders walks in at Big 10 Media Days? Everybody else, get out of the way," added Finebaum.

Coach Prime at USC, just after the Trojans make the move to the Big 10, would certainly be an attention grabber. Sanders is made for the bright lights. And the lights don't get any brighter than they do in Los Angeles. One of Sanders' biggest obstacles to building a program that can sustain success at Colorado is the fact that it's Colorado. The brand recognition just isn't there to be able to compete with the Ohio States and Alabamas of college football. But at USC, Sanders would instantly have one of the most recognizable brands in college sports at his disposal, not to mention all of the recruiting/NIL opportunities that would be available while playing in the shadows of the Hollywood sign.

Riley can make it a moot point by winning 10 or more games in 2024. But if the Trojans don't show improvement under his watch this fall, it wouldn't be a surprise if Finebaum's prime prediction comes true.

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