EUGENE — The Mouth of the South does not trust Oregon’s athletic director, a man he claimed to “know” and “like” just nine days ago.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum once again called into question the credibility of Ducks AD Rob Mullens, who is in his second year as the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee, but this time in far more explicit and personal terms.

During his Thursday radio show, Finebaum cited a column by USA Today’s George Schroeder pointing out the awkwardness of the CFP selection committee chair being the sitting athletic director of a school whose team is contending for what could be the final spot in the four-team field. However, CFP protocol calls for Mullens to leave the room anytime the No. 6 Ducks (9-1, 7-0 Pac-12) are among the teams being discussed, which has been at the same time as No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Alabama for each of the last two weeks.

“I frankly don’t know if I trust this guy being in charge," Finebaum said during his show, which is simulcast on the SEC Network. "I don’t trust him because he’s not honest, and I just think he has an influence on that committee. Maybe I should save my powder if Oregon gets in, but then it’s going to be too late.”

UPDATE: Paul Finebaum apologizes for ‘wrong and inappropriate’ attack on credibility of Oregon AD Rob Mullens: ‘I could not have been more incorrect’

This is asinine & so far off-base. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working closely with or knows Rob understands how baseless this is. The committee has 13 esteemed members & to think one person controls the room is laughable. https://t.co/PcORQ0p9G3 — Craig Pintens (@LMUPintens) November 22, 2019

That’s a much stronger, and more personal, accusation by Finebaum compared to his comments during the Nov. 12 CFP top 25 rankings show on ESPN, when he said “the credibility is going to lie somewhere in the balance” for the CFP if Oregon is in the final group of teams being considered and Mullens can’t address the selection committee’s thoughts because he was not in the room.

At that time, ESPN CFP top 25 rankings show and College GameDay host Rece Davis stepped in to say as long as sitting athletic directors are on the selection committee they have to recuse themselves from the room when their teams are discussed and are “honorable guys,” prompting Finebaum to backpedal and even compliment Mullens.

“Please don’t misunderstand me, I know him and I like him," Finebaum said Nov. 12. "I’m just saying It puts that committee in the crosshairs though. I’m a big believer in transparency and I’m not sure we’re going to get it if he’s sitting outside having a soft drink.”

Oregon athletics referred a request for comment from Mullens, whose term on the CFP ends in February, to the CFP.

Last week, CFP executive director Bill Hancock told The Oregonian/OregonLive the current and potential predicament involving Mullens will have “no effect” on the selection committee being composed in part by sitting athletic directors or the chair of the committee being a sitting athletic director.

“These are people of great integrity and they don’t have anything to do with any conversation or any voting about their teams,” Hancock told The Oregonian/OregonLive last week. “We handle this in the same way we did with Ohio State in the past, Clemson in the past, Oklahoma and others.”

During this week’s teleconference with reporters following the release of the third week of CFP top 25 rankings, Mullens provided a bit more by way of context and responses regarding Oregon, Georgia and Alabama compared to the week prior and Hancock answered some questions specific to Oregon, particularly its ranking relative to No. 7 Utah in the eyes of the committee.