Tennessee belonged in the College Football Playoff despite being one of the biggest losers on the field, Paul Finebaum says.

Tennessee gave a 21-0 lead to Ohio State in the first quarter before the Volunteers scored 10 points in the second quarter. The Buckeyes flexed on Tennessee with two touchdowns in the third quarter before earning a 42-17 win over the SEC's No. 3 team.

The first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP) left fans underwhelmed, with games decided by an average margin of over 19 points. College football analyst Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back, labeling SMU and Indiana as “frauds” while offering a more lenient perspective on Tennessee’s inclusion.

They then went to Notre Dame last Friday and never put up a fight in a 27-17 loss that never felt that close. The Hoosiers only lost two games this season and took their fans on a ride that they'll never forget but that doesn't mean everyone was happy for them.

Although Indiana football scored two touchdowns late versus Notre Dame, they were thoroughly outclassed in their Playoff game on Friday night. Unfortunately, the concerns about a soft schedule masking the team’s deficiencies were once again validated.

Notre Dame had no part of being a main character in that story and handled the Hoosiers to open up the first round of games. Before the game, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was a bit fired up about the opportunity.