CHARLOTTE — I get it. Paul Finebaum likes to stir things up. That’s his job, and let’s be honest he does a good job of it.

However, the attack he made on Clemson’s football program and left guard John Simpson Wednesday evening on the SEC Network was uncalled for and, to be honest, unfair.

In case you missed it, Simpson responded to the statements Alabama’s Dylan Moses made earlier in the day when the linebacker said at SEC Media Days, “I wouldn’t say they were the better team,” when he was asked why his team lost to Clemson so bad in last year’s national championship game.

Moses then went on to say, “Georgia is definitely the hardest team I played in college.”

When The Clemson Insider asked Simpson his opinion on Moses’ comments, the Tigers’ starting left tackle gave his own opinion. Simpson fired back at Moses when he said, “I personally feel that Notre Dame was the best team we played. Notre Dame was really good. I think Notre Dame was better than Alabama was.”

Obviously, Simpson struck a nerve on Finebaum and the ESPN and SEC analyst went on the attack.

“I’m not in the business of criticizing college players but that is easily one of the stupidest comments I have ever heard,” Finebaum said. “Alabama was a phenomenal football team last year. Notre Dame was good, but they were not as good as Alabama. Alabama would’ve destroyed Notre Dame, and what you get there in John Simpson’s comments is just the pettiness of a program that is unaccustomed to being at the epicenter of this sport.”

Finebaum is calling Clemson petty, really?

Isn’t this the same guy that has made excuse after excuse on why Alabama lost to Clemson, 44-16, in the national championship game last year? Isn’t this the same guy that attacked the ACC and called it a “clown show” last month?

Isn’t this the same guy who said Clemson has not played anybody and that Dabo Swinney and the Tigers could not hang in the SEC if they had to play an SEC schedule?

Wow! I can’t believe Finebaum attacked Simpson and the Clemson program like he did.

While some in the SEC, Finebaum, Nick Saban and Alabama players have made excuse after excuse in the last six months since the Tigers’ 28-point victory in Santa, Clara, Calif., Clemson has sat idly by and has done or said nothing publicly.

Finally, when a Clemson player has had enough and he decides to defend himself and his teammates, Finebaum is going to call his comments “stupid” and call Clemson overall as a football program “petty?”

So, Alabama isn’t petty? They’re the ones that started all of this nonsense in the first place.

Also, isn’t Finebaum being a little petty, too?  Especially when he said, “I’ve said this couple of times, I’m gonna say it again, Clemson just doesn’t know how to win yet. Maybe they will at some point, but not yet. And I hope that they can learn to deal with being number one and being in the spotlight. Because so far, a lot of their comments and their behavior, both the last time two years ago and today, have been really embarrassing.”

What is Finebaum talking about? Besides Simpson’s comments at the ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday—when he was taking up for himself and his teammates—when has Clemson really said anything or acted in any way that would be embarrassing after their two victories over Alabama in the last three years?

The way Alabama’s players, head coach and some in the media have acted since the national championship game have been way pettier and embarrassing then anything Simpson said on Wednesday.

I personally think Finebaum owes Simpson and the Clemson football program an apology.