Paul Finebaum hasn’t exactly been BFFs with Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes. Since Deion took the helm, the ESPN analyst hasn’t held back on the criticism, even calling him an “industry-created coaching celebrity”. Now, after a rough 4-8 season for the Buffs, Finebaum piled on again.

During the SEC Network’s coverage of SEC media day, Finebaum took aim at Colorado, soon after their Big 12 media day. He called them “irrelevant in the big picture of college football”, and scoffed at their playoff chances under Deion. But Finebaum’s words sparked a fiery response.

On the July 17th edition of ‘OutKicks’, hosts Jonathan Hutton and Chad Withrow weren’t buying Finebaum’s take. Hutton argued that Colorado’s “irrelevant” label was way off base. “They’re relevant because of the numbers,” Hutton said. “They’re relevant because fans are watching games with Deion Sanders on screen.” Even co-host Withrow pointed out the irony. “They’re relevant because his own ESPN is asking him a question about at SEC media days. So your network is making him more relevant,” Withrow noted.

Now, Deion’s media presence is undeniable, and ESPN certainly contributes to that. Remember the CSU vs. Colorado game last year? After Deion’s back-and-forth with CSU’s Jay Norvell, it became ESPN’s most-watched college game with a whopping 9.3 million viewers. So, for an ESPN analyst to call them “irrelevant” seems pretty out of touch.

The ‘OutKicks’ hosts went even further, noting how Deion’s presence is buzzing at the SEC media day despite being a Big 12 coach. That just shows Deion’s growing influence across the NCAA landscape. Now, Withrow and Hutton aren’t just the two voices in a growing chorus defending Deion. 

Paul Finebaum fumbles as Deion & Co. score

Right there in the same ‘Paul Finebaum’ interview, former quarterback Robert Griffin III came to Deion’s defense. He believes Deion has the potential to take the Buffs to the playoffs within five years. RG3 didn’t stop there. He blasted Finebaum on X, calling his criticism “wrong”. “Colorado is very relevant and broke TV viewership records last year even after their 3-0 start that saw them finish the year 4-8,” he wrote. Turns out, Colorado actually broke TV viewership records last year, even after a disappointing season. RG3 pointed out how even their blowout loss to Oregon drew a whopping 10 million viewers, beating the much-hyped Notre Dame vs. Ohio State game!

Finebaum’s bias became even clearer when a CU alum, Matt McChesney, chimed in. He called out Finebaum as an “SEC-biased” person and suggested he focus on the current situation rather than dwelling on their past record. So Finebaum’s attempt to trash Deion backfired massively. Most people are siding with Deion, and Deion himself took the high road. He responded with a light-hearted post on X, throwing shade without mentioning Finebaum’s name: “God is good…they mad mad! I sense a bit of anger & hostility. Lolololololol God bless”

With Big 12 conference days approaching, Deion and the Buffs seem to be staying positive and focused, leaving Finebaum looking bitter and out of touch.