Barrett Sallee talks with Paul Finebaum, picks LSU as a "legitimate CFP contender," drawing comparisons with Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide

Paul Finebaum is one of the most respected voices in college football, particularly in the Southeastern Conference. The long-time television and radio personality recently spoke with Barrett Sallee, who covers college football for CBS Sports.

Finebaum shared Sallee's prediction for the LSU Tigers' season, with the analyst expressing high expectations for coach Brian Kelly's second season in the SEC:

"More from @BarrettSallee: “LSU’s ceiling may not be as high as Alabama’s, but the floor is much higher. The Tigers don’t have any problem areas on paper. They’re a legitimate CFP contender.”"

Check out Paul Finebaum's tweet on Barrett Sallee's expectations for LSU below:

In Kelly's first season, LSU showed significant improvement, going from a 6-7 record in 2021 to finishing the 2022 season with a 10-4 record and a 16th ranking in the Final AP Poll.

They had a successful recruiting year, landing the seventh-ranked overall recruiting class and excelling in the transfer portal with a third-ranked transfer class. However, it remains to be seen if LSU can truly compete with the top teams, like the Alabama Crimson Tide, until they prove themselves on the field.

Paul Finebaum shares Barrett Sallee's criticism of George Kliavkoff

The Pac-12 has struggled to land a long-term media rights deal. Furthermore, the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans have announced that they will head to the Big Ten, while news recently broke that the Colorado Buffaloes could be headed to the Big 12.

Paul Finebaum recently shared a tweet expressing Barrett Sallee's criticism of Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, stating:

"Getting comparative with @BarrettSallee: “Coming in as a Conference Commissioner with no Athletics experience can go both ways. For the Pac-12 it’s been a bad thing, for the Big 12 it’s allowed Brett Yormark to operate without ties to old loyalties.”"

Check out Paul Finebaum's tweet below:

While the Pac-12 has struggled to land a long-term media rights deal and keep their schools, the Big 12 have recovered from the loss of the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns. The Big 12 has added the BYU Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats, Houston Cougars and UCF Knights to offset the losses. Furthermore, the Colorado Buffaloes could be the next to join.

Meanwhile, in addition to losing the Buffaloes, UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, the Pac-12 could be in line for more losses. The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies have reportedly been targets of the Big Ten, while the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils and Utah Utes could follow Colorado to the Big 12.