Paul Finebaum discusses if Auburn can win national championship this season

Auburn’s win over No. 12 ranked Kentucky on Saturday at Auburn Arena was yet another impressive victory by the Tigers, who stretched their winning streak to 15 straight games, improved to 18-1 overall with a perfect 7-0 mark in SEC play and became the No. 1 team in the country as a result.

As the Tigers have dropped just one game all season long, a double-overtime loss to then No. 22 UConn back on Nov. 24, they’re being listed as a No. 1 seed in most NCAA Tournament bracketology projections – and rightfully so.

Following Auburn’s most recent outing, ESPN analyst and SEC Network host Paul Finebaum joined the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning radio show and discussed whether or not the Tigers could win the national championship this season.

“Auburn can definitely win a national championship, and I think we’ve seen that for the last two months,” Finebaum said. “This is not like it’s Week 1 of the SEC and they’ve gone out on the road and won a big game; they haven’t lost since, what, November or December? … I can’t remember.

“They’re playing at a high level and I will say this: At the end of January, there are always a lot more teams that are capable of winning from when we see the bracket in mid-March. But anyone who doesn’t think this is the best team in the country … Auburn is the best team in the country.”

Auburn returns to action Tuesday on the road at Missouri, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

Finebaum talks rumors of Bruce Pearl leaving Auburn for Louisville

With Chris Mack on the hot seat at Louisville, Bruce Pearl’s name has been mentioned as a prime candidate to take over at Louisville after Mack’s gone. For ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, he doesn’t think that Pearl would leave what he has going at Auburn for a declining UofL program.

“I don’t believe it,” Finebaum said. “And I say that because he knows what he has there, guys. I also think he’s appreciative of the Auburn administration standing by him. A lot of places may not have done that. It would’ve been convenient just to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to clean house,’ even though we all know how that investigation turned out. I think there will be a sense of loyalty.

“I feel like I know Bruce Pearl – I’ve known him for nearly 20 years. I don’t know why he would think Louisville is a better opportunity right now. There was a time when it was, but here’s the problem I have with Louisville: It’s star has been dimmed and, let’s be honest, why does he want to leave a program to go someplace where he is in the shadow of Kentucky?”