You can always trust Paul Finebaum to bring in a little more heat than most analysts. This upcoming season, Kalen DeBoer managed to impress him with top-tier recruiting. And now, as the season kickoff looms closer, he’s very high on Alabama. “I haven’t heard anything that would indicate that this team is going to be anything but a national championship contender,” he told Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic. But that wasn’t the headline grabber. It’s his comment on who the Tide is meeting in their season opener and he made sure a little bit of gas is poured on it.
Paul Finebaum, with his trademark SEC smirk, took a verbal sledgehammer to Florida State’s street cred on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. Before the topic surfaced in a Jox 94.5 episode on August 12, Auburn got pulled into the conversation. The analyst likes Hugh Freeze’s vibe, but he’s clear that they’re not Alabama. Some people are concerned that the Tide could be tested when they go to Tallahassee to face Mike Norvell and the Seminoles. But he didn’t flinch. “I don’t care. I don’t respect Florida State. I don’t think they’re a factor,” he fired. But why?
Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer gestures on the sidelines against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
To Paul Finebaum, FSU’s been more circus than contender lately. “Just go back to years ago,” he said late in July. “We all watched that circus going on down there. Not only that, we saw the program implode last year, which doesn’t help you in any way.” FSU, for its part, hasn’t exactly kept quiet. Transfer QB Thomas Castellanos chirped earlier this offseason that Alabama no longer has Nick Saban “to save them.” Mike Norvell is shaking up his staff, bringing in Gus Malzahn to run the offense and Tony White to fix the defense. The portal’s been busy, too. Squirrel White, Duce Robinson, and James Williams headline an influx of new faces. But new names don’t erase old scars and Paul Finebaum’s betting those scars split open on opening night.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s got Kalen DeBoer entering Year 2 with a roster patched with precision. Ty Simpson’s the guy. No more guessing games. The fourth-year junior from Martin, Tennessee, waited his turn behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. Now, his first career start comes August 30 at Florida State, against a Seminoles squad that’s dropped 11 of its last 13 games. Still, the nation isn’t very high on the Tide.
Paul Finebaum is puzzled by Alabama’s AP spot
For a guy who’s made a living picking apart overhyped programs, Paul Finebaum had to laugh at the opposite problem this time. Alabama, ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll, got what he considers a disrespectful placement. “I think they were way too low yesterday… To me, they are a top two, top three, top four team,” he told McElroy and Cubelic. “I put them in there over Ohio State, a couple other schools as well, maybe even Georgia.”
The reasoning is stability. Nobody bolted after last season, recruiting has been elite, and Kalen DeBoer’s staff finally feels complete. The Ty Simpson decision only sharpened the picture. “They’ve plugged so many holes… There were too many weaknesses last year, and we all know where those were and they’ve been rectified,” he said. In other words, while the rest of the country sees a rebuilding Alabama, Paul Finebaum sees a sleeping giant that’s already awake.
So here we are, two and a half weeks from kickoff. Paul Finebaum’s all-in on Bama, flat-out dismissive of Florida State, and openly frustrated the Tide aren’t ranked higher. Aug. 30 season opener in Tallahassee will be a test of whether the analyst’s faith in Alabama and his disrespect for FSU are prophetic or primed for a viral “Freezing Cold Takes” post.
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