What do you think?
Rate this book
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why the SEC Still Rules College Football – A Personal Chronicle from ESPN's Voice of Southern Sports
An all-access pass into the powerhouse teams and passionate fanbases of the legendary Southeastern Conference, from one of the most influential men in college football: ESPN's Paul Finebaum.
Proud owner of 14 prestigious college football programs, producing seven consecutive national championships, twelve NFL first round draft choices, and a budget that crushes the GDP of Samoa, the Southeastern Conference collects the most coveted ratings, rankings, and revenue of any conference in college football. With its pantheon of illustrious alumni like Bear Bryant, Herschel Walker, Peyton Manning, and Nick Saban, the SEC is the altar at which millions of Americans worship every Saturday, from Texas to Kentucky to Florida.
If the SEC is a religion, its deity is radio talk-show host Paul Finebaum. In My Conference Can Beat Your Conference, Finebaum, chronicles the rise of the SEC and his own unlikely path to college football fame. Finebaum offers his blunt wisdom on everything from Joe Paterno and the Penn State scandal to the relevancy of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron's girlfriend, and chronicles the best of his beloved callers, and the worst of his haters.
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference is illustrated with 8 pages of color photos.
Proud owner of 14 prestigious college football programs, producing seven consecutive national championships, twelve NFL first round draft choices, and a budget that crushes the GDP of Samoa, the Southeastern Conference collects the most coveted ratings, rankings, and revenue of any conference in college football. With its pantheon of illustrious alumni like Bear Bryant, Herschel Walker, Peyton Manning, and Nick Saban, the SEC is the altar at which millions of Americans worship every Saturday, from Texas to Kentucky to Florida.
If the SEC is a religion, its deity is radio talk-show host Paul Finebaum. In My Conference Can Beat Your Conference, Finebaum, chronicles the rise of the SEC and his own unlikely path to college football fame. Finebaum offers his blunt wisdom on everything from Joe Paterno and the Penn State scandal to the relevancy of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron's girlfriend, and chronicles the best of his beloved callers, and the worst of his haters.
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference is illustrated with 8 pages of color photos.
- GenresSportsNonfictionFootball
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2014
29 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 10, 2014
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an Advanced Copy.
If you are a fan of college football, you will like this book. If you are a fan of the greatest conference in the USA (SEC), then you will love this book. Paul Finebaum makes a great case as to why the SEC is the best conference. Attendance, merchandise revenue, ticket sales, national championships, BCS Bowl game victories, and the best recruiting pool is in the South. It is hard to argue with the results in the last 10 years. Paul Finebaum is an expert on SEC football, and I am glad he went from the radio to the tv broadcasts.
If you are a fan of college football, you will like this book. If you are a fan of the greatest conference in the USA (SEC), then you will love this book. Paul Finebaum makes a great case as to why the SEC is the best conference. Attendance, merchandise revenue, ticket sales, national championships, BCS Bowl game victories, and the best recruiting pool is in the South. It is hard to argue with the results in the last 10 years. Paul Finebaum is an expert on SEC football, and I am glad he went from the radio to the tv broadcasts.
March 14, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Paul has a way of speaking/writing with snark that always leaves me with a smile. As a Bama fan, the last 60 pages or so left me sour. Paul goes through, to use one of his frequent words, and BLOVIATES about how the dynasty has ended and how Gus Malzahn is on the rise. Having heard him say that he wasn't one of those who claimed an end to the dynasty recently, it stuck in my crawl a bit. I forced myself to finish this book rather unhappily. I give three stars because up until those last few pages, the book was fantastic. Worth reading but if you are a Bama fan and you don't enjoy reliving the kick six, stop at about page 210.
September 22, 2014
Paul Finebaum has combined a biographical look at his career with the 2013 college football season and created a fun book to read. Despite being a Big 10 fan living in Arkansas, I do agree with Finebaum that the SEC is the best football conference. (I mean, fact is fact!)
He does a week-by-week look at the season and offers behind the scenes looks at ESPN's College Day, interviews with coaches and personalities of some of the fans who called his radio show. He also writes of the history of the SEC - primarily since the BCS bowl system was formed and the SEC dominated.
He is an Alabama flag waver, saying Saban could well be the greatest coach in college football history. But there are stories about all the other teams, including Bobby Patrino's motorcycle accident, Auburn's two weeks of miraculous finishes, Urban Meyer and Florida, Kentucky's need to leave the SEC and Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel.
This is a good book for all football fans, not just SEC ones. And it takes a close look at one of the best college seasons in a long while.
He does a week-by-week look at the season and offers behind the scenes looks at ESPN's College Day, interviews with coaches and personalities of some of the fans who called his radio show. He also writes of the history of the SEC - primarily since the BCS bowl system was formed and the SEC dominated.
He is an Alabama flag waver, saying Saban could well be the greatest coach in college football history. But there are stories about all the other teams, including Bobby Patrino's motorcycle accident, Auburn's two weeks of miraculous finishes, Urban Meyer and Florida, Kentucky's need to leave the SEC and Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel.
This is a good book for all football fans, not just SEC ones. And it takes a close look at one of the best college seasons in a long while.
May 2, 2016
A mercifully quick read. Finebaum's very informal writing style and his incessant false modesty grated after the second chapter. Little more than a week by week review of the 2013 college football season, wrapped around Finebaum's personal story and opinions on said season. I found the book lacking in entertainment and devoid of the type of insights you'd expect from the self proclaimed mouth of the SEC.
October 1, 2014
Those who like the truth about college football will love this book by Finebaum, who chronicles the 2013 CFB season week by week. While some consider him an SEC homer, all he does is speak/write the truth. Do not pick up this book unless you have a realistic grasp of where everyone else is in relation to the SEC. That includes you, Notre Dame fans.
November 8, 2014
A love note not only to the conference Finebaum covers, but also to the community of fans his work has earned.
September 20, 2014
Too much Bama love in this one.
October 4, 2014
An enjoyable read.
May 25, 2015
fun and interesting book if you like college football, sec, auburn and/or auburn.
March 3, 2025
About 1/5 of this book is Finebaum writing about his past and some predictions for the future of CFB. The rest of the book was just him gassing up Alabama and Auburn. I understand that his career and show started in Birmingham, and he became what he is because of that. However, things were getting so weird at times between the three of them, I thought I needed to turn away and give them some privacy. I’ve never really had an issue with Finebaum, but I am starting to think maybe his analysis of CFB is not that great. Nearly all of his takes and predictions from 2013 have aged like milk. They are almost hilariously bad.
September 19, 2021
An interesting look at both Paul Finebaum’s career and SEC football. An unapologetic SEC media booster, it is often difficult to figure out how married Finebaum is to Alabama as opposed to The SEC. The story follows a season in the NCAA, ironically one where Alabama doesn’t even get to the SEC championship. At times self deprecating, Finebaum and Gene Wojciechowski, offer an easy and smooth read which seems to fly by. Unfortunately, the book sometimes reads like sports talk radio.
November 25, 2025
3.5- The book was published in 2014 and mostly focuses on the 2013 college football season. It is a little outdated, since it’s relevant for a point in time and things have changes significantly in the aport in the past ten years.
January 27, 2021
Fine-BUM is in love with Bama. I only gave this three stars because the SEC is the KING of Football.
October 19, 2022
Wish it was more focused on the SEC conference as a whole. Most chapters seemed too focused on Alabama. Still a decent read if your a fan of college football.
June 17, 2024
Great book, recommended read for college football fans - especially SEC fans. Paul gives insight into the 2013 college football season, and his background of how The Paul Finebaum Show came to be!
May 14, 2015
I picked this up on a whim at the library. I knew about it obviously, but hadn't really intended to read it. I like Finebaum and I (of course) love all things SEC football, but I don't particularly care for the show or the multitude of characters who call in.
I enjoyed the majority of this book. I found it to be funny and insightful, and peppered with lots of interesting examples that demonstrate the true nature of SEC football, both good and bad. As Finebaum is one of the most polarizing figures in sports media, I found his encounters with fans (and haters) to be accurate. The SEC football fan in me truly enjoyed this look at Finebaum's career, his take on why SEC football is the best (and will always be the best), and stories from the 2013 season.
The Alabama fan in me really struggled with the last few chapters. Perhaps I should have waited until the sting of the 2013 Iron Bowl to fully fade before reading this, but then again, I'm not sure it will ever truly fade. As I said on Twitter while reading chapter 17, "...I'm getting queasy. It's been 2.5 years and I'm still upset about it. My hands are a little shaky, and I want to look away, but I can't, which is exactly how I felt during that game." I went on to remark that perhaps I have grown a little because I no longer "have the urge to scream at the top of my lungs and jump up and down while proclaiming that God loves Alabama football best". There is irrationality in being a college football fan and no where is that better demonstrated than in an Alabama football fan.
I don't feel like Finebaum rubbed the lose in in any way; in fact I thought the way it was written was exactly right. Saban DID make a bad call and Bama had drank it's own Kool-Aid a little too much (see: 2013 Sugar Bowl). They lost and it was horrible. It is STILL horrible and I don't like to read about it. I was literally cringing the whole way through that portion. Finebaum (with assistance from Gene Wojciechowski) paints a very realistic picture of what that experience must have been like. I really did feel like I was there (and thank God I wasn't) which I think says a lot about this book. Maybe it's because I am an SEC fan and have experienced much of what is talked about here, but this whole book felt very real to me. I could see the crowd, feel the tension, and hear the drama. I could not smell the bourbon wafting through the Greek section, but that might be a plus.
The weak point of the book is the flow. To me, it felt very choppy and I didn't get a good sense of what games were happening when (without checking a schedule which I obviously did) and how the book chapters fit in with which games. The "season skinny" which began every chapter kind of threw me; I think the book would have been better served without that. I think it would have been better if it just flowed naturally without the need to date every chapter and try to paint a picture of what else was going on.
In general, I recommend this book for anyone who has more than a passing fancy for SEC football. I don't recommend it to those outside the SEC unless you are a fan of the show or really appreciate good football and stories about good football. This book will only piss off FSU, OSU, Oregon, Notre Dame, and probably USC fans. It is probably intended to do that because Paul Finebaum loves nothing more than making a blanket statement and sitting back to watch the fans froth at the mouth.
Final Grade: B+/4 stars
I enjoyed the majority of this book. I found it to be funny and insightful, and peppered with lots of interesting examples that demonstrate the true nature of SEC football, both good and bad. As Finebaum is one of the most polarizing figures in sports media, I found his encounters with fans (and haters) to be accurate. The SEC football fan in me truly enjoyed this look at Finebaum's career, his take on why SEC football is the best (and will always be the best), and stories from the 2013 season.
The Alabama fan in me really struggled with the last few chapters. Perhaps I should have waited until the sting of the 2013 Iron Bowl to fully fade before reading this, but then again, I'm not sure it will ever truly fade. As I said on Twitter while reading chapter 17, "...I'm getting queasy. It's been 2.5 years and I'm still upset about it. My hands are a little shaky, and I want to look away, but I can't, which is exactly how I felt during that game." I went on to remark that perhaps I have grown a little because I no longer "have the urge to scream at the top of my lungs and jump up and down while proclaiming that God loves Alabama football best". There is irrationality in being a college football fan and no where is that better demonstrated than in an Alabama football fan.
I don't feel like Finebaum rubbed the lose in in any way; in fact I thought the way it was written was exactly right. Saban DID make a bad call and Bama had drank it's own Kool-Aid a little too much (see: 2013 Sugar Bowl). They lost and it was horrible. It is STILL horrible and I don't like to read about it. I was literally cringing the whole way through that portion. Finebaum (with assistance from Gene Wojciechowski) paints a very realistic picture of what that experience must have been like. I really did feel like I was there (and thank God I wasn't) which I think says a lot about this book. Maybe it's because I am an SEC fan and have experienced much of what is talked about here, but this whole book felt very real to me. I could see the crowd, feel the tension, and hear the drama. I could not smell the bourbon wafting through the Greek section, but that might be a plus.
The weak point of the book is the flow. To me, it felt very choppy and I didn't get a good sense of what games were happening when (without checking a schedule which I obviously did) and how the book chapters fit in with which games. The "season skinny" which began every chapter kind of threw me; I think the book would have been better served without that. I think it would have been better if it just flowed naturally without the need to date every chapter and try to paint a picture of what else was going on.
In general, I recommend this book for anyone who has more than a passing fancy for SEC football. I don't recommend it to those outside the SEC unless you are a fan of the show or really appreciate good football and stories about good football. This book will only piss off FSU, OSU, Oregon, Notre Dame, and probably USC fans. It is probably intended to do that because Paul Finebaum loves nothing more than making a blanket statement and sitting back to watch the fans froth at the mouth.
Final Grade: B+/4 stars
November 3, 2014
Below is a sample of why I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And, I must confess that it gave me a new appreciation for Spurrier. Wow, I can’t believe I just said that.
"If God made the world in seven days, He spent the eighth day in his two-car garage, sipping on a cold one, listening to Merle Haggard, and dreaming up the SEC. And, here’s what he came up with: Fourteen (and counting) programs nestled in the proudest region in the land. Winners of the seven of the last eight, and nine out of the last sixteen BCS Championships. The last eight national championships have featured at least one SEC team, if not two...”
This book is the perfect gift for any SEC Fan on your Christmas list. And, Finebaum is hilarious.
"If God made the world in seven days, He spent the eighth day in his two-car garage, sipping on a cold one, listening to Merle Haggard, and dreaming up the SEC. And, here’s what he came up with: Fourteen (and counting) programs nestled in the proudest region in the land. Winners of the seven of the last eight, and nine out of the last sixteen BCS Championships. The last eight national championships have featured at least one SEC team, if not two...”
This book is the perfect gift for any SEC Fan on your Christmas list. And, Finebaum is hilarious.
November 24, 2014
This wasn't what I was expecting. I heard about it on ESPN's college football podcast, and from that, was expecting a thoughtful analysis of why the SEC tends to dominate college football. That's not what this book is. This book is a recap of the 2013 season mixed with a Paul Finebaum memoir. It was okay with me, for the most part - I am a reporter, so I like reading reporting memoirs - and I found it interesting and humorous, but only when Finebaum wasn't being condescending (he's kind of condescending) and a creepy sexist 50-something man remarking altogether too much on the appearance of coeds in the South (he does this a lot, also). Not sorry I read it, but really glad I didn't have to buy it.
August 16, 2014
First of all, I really enjoyed this book.
Part biography, Part recap of last football season and all proof that the SEC is the greatest football conference.
Finebaum is biased toward Alabama. Not because he likes rooting for their team, but because of the greatness in football. I really enjoyed the recap of the season, Finebaum is a no holds barred analysis of Saban's decisions in the Iron Bowl and why Urban Meyer is the second best football coach right now.
He uses unique metaphors and shows his love for his humble beginnings as a radio show host. This book has it all, but take note, if you think the best football is in the Big 10, you will take offense.
Part biography, Part recap of last football season and all proof that the SEC is the greatest football conference.
Finebaum is biased toward Alabama. Not because he likes rooting for their team, but because of the greatness in football. I really enjoyed the recap of the season, Finebaum is a no holds barred analysis of Saban's decisions in the Iron Bowl and why Urban Meyer is the second best football coach right now.
He uses unique metaphors and shows his love for his humble beginnings as a radio show host. This book has it all, but take note, if you think the best football is in the Big 10, you will take offense.
December 3, 2014
I grew up an Alabama fan from a long line of Alabama fans - Roll Tide. Part of my early SEC education is attributed to Paul Finebaum. His cynical, irreverent, at times condescending but always funny football radio show is inseparable from my early understanding of football...only about a step below hearing Eli Gold announce Alabama touchdowns. I enjoyed this book. I found it seriously funny with some laugh out loud moments, a few serious ones, and a few (but only a few) insider tidbits. It is, in essence, Finebaum's love letter to the SEC. That being said, don't expect too much actual SEC analysis. A funny few hours for SEC fans, but for most others I'd recommend skipping it.
January 14, 2015
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why the SEC Still Rules College Football by Paul Finebaum (Harper Collins 2014) (796.33263). This is Paul Finebaum's most recent book on the glories of SEC Football. Paul Finebaum is the leading gasbag in the current SEC media crowd. He's now the point man for the SEC Network. Prior to the SEC Network gig, Finebaum had a radio call-in show in Alabama on the subject of college football in general and the Alabama Crimson Tide to be specific. We Tennessee fans preferred Finebaum in Alabama where we could enjoy his work as a gadfly. Plus: Finebaum is a University of Tennessee alum! Go Vols! My rating: 7/10, finished 1/12/15.
January 20, 2015
at first I thought it was just a book where the author rants about different things, but then as I got into the book, I found this book really interesting and insightful to the SEC. Also the events and cases are up to date and the depth of knowledge is just right without being too bogged down. Other than that, the author manages to go through all the SEC teams in the book which was very interesting. I wonder what the author thinks about the recent Big Ten win in the college football championship series. a must read for any college football fan.
April 14, 2015
Look I only read the preview and it already got me looking at the price for it. I'm from Mississippi and of course I love the ole miss rebels. I watch his show every day and love it. The SEC is the best conference in college football no other conference has anything on them. Any sec team now could beat those teams from Miami when they made a championship run. You want to know where the best teams are they down south. this is the end and don't let me leave without saying...... Hotty Toddy gosh almighty who the hell are we hey flim flam bamm bamm ole miss by down
April 10, 2015
I really love this book. You get to go through a college football season through the eyes of Paul Finebaum as he includes exactly how he feels through each and every situation. For those who don't know who he is, he is an ESPN analyst who covers college football year-round. The reason I give this 5 stars is because it is extremely well written makes you feel like you're going through a college football season through his eyes.
August 20, 2014
Outstanding read for the college football fan, most notably, the SEC fan. Largely a chest-thumping of the conference's dominance across the college football landscape, the book backs the polarizing author's assertion with research and facts that support the eye test...and those seven straight championships. Highly recommended. Four stars from this reader. Roll SEC. Roll Tide.
January 9, 2015
Oh, I so didn't want to like this book. I'm not a Finebaum fan and I have such SEC burnout, as a BIG fan living in the South. But I did like this book a lot more than I thought I did. And I'm glad I read it while the 2013 season was fresh in my mind. It didn't make me like Finebaum or the SEC any more, but it was well written and fun to read.
March 15, 2015
Sorry, but I could not finish this book. My son purchased this for me for Christmas and I have tried to read it ever since. Could only handle 2 maybe 3 pages at a time. Do no have time for such ramblings.
Please note, Paul's week day show is a much catch. Try to tune in every afternoon. He just laid a complete egg with this book.
Please note, Paul's week day show is a much catch. Try to tune in every afternoon. He just laid a complete egg with this book.
April 24, 2015
Fun read for any college football fan. After reading the book, I wondered if the book was about the University of Alabama or the Southeast Conference. For those that live or have lived in the south, football is king, the main religion, it rules. The book only confirms this. Finebaum does a good job pushing Alabama and their program. After all this said, I enjoyed the book.
July 14, 2023
Part Finebaum memoir, part review of the 2013 College Football season (peaking with the Kick Bama Kick game), My Conference Can Beat Your Conference is a quick enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys college football, Finebaum, or just wants a spirited defense of what makes SEC football in the early 21st century so exceptional.
January 11, 2016
I'm a pretty big SEC fan girl, for the most part. This book was mostly Paul Finebaum's take on the 2013 college football season, the last before the college football playoffs. It was pretty interesting to read given how we already knew the outcome, especially the Iron Bowl. This book focuses more on Alabama and Auburn than the rest of the SEC, though, which was a bit disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews