Paul Finebaum isn’t treating Saturday’s Georgia-Alabama matchup like just another top-10 game. To him, the pressure sits heavier on No. 2 Georgia, and the reason starts with Kirby Smart’s track record against the Crimson Tide.
“It’s bigger for Georgia because Georgia has an Alabama problem, and so does Kirby Smart,” Finebaum said Friday on ESPN’s “Get Up.” Alabama has controlled every regular-season meeting since Georgia’s overtime win in Tuscaloosa in 2007.
Finebaum brushed off Georgia’s 28-7 win over Alabama in last season’s SEC Championship Game. He made it clear he doesn’t see that result as changing the bigger picture.
“I’m well aware, Greeny, that Georgia won the last game. It was in the SEC Championship Game, and all my Bama friends say, ‘We were banged up.
We weren’t ready to play.’ Well, big deal,” Finebaum said.
“But the problem is that Kirby Smart has yet to beat Alabama in the regular season.”
That theme has only sharpened under Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who has beaten Smart in both regular-season meetings between the two coaches, 41-34 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2024 and 24-21 in Athens last season. Finebaum brought that up again Wednesday on “Get Up,” saying a third straight loss to DeBoer would be “almost unthinkable when you think about Kirby Smart as being the premier coach.”
He also doesn’t believe weather will play much of a role, even with Alabama and the SEC keeping an eye on Hurricane Isaias and heavy rain in the Tuscaloosa forecast all week. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
“The storm is long gone,” Finebaum said. “I’ve read weather maps more this week than I have read books on how to grow more hair, Greeny, and it’s just not going to be a big deal. The grass at Tuscaloosa drains about as well as Augusta National.”
Finebaum sided with Alabama in the matchup, as did ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, while Joe Fortenbaugh and Harry Douglas picked Georgia.
“I think this Alabama team is so complete,” Finebaum said. “Georgia has a slightly better defense, but the fact that we’re talking about Alabama in the same category is important. Alabama’s offense has been explosive.”
He pointed to the numbers behind that offense, noting Alabama ranks first nationally in offensive success rate. Finebaum also gave the quarterback edge to Keelon Russell, who has 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions, over Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, who has thrown 13 touchdowns and one interception.
“Take nothing away from Gunner Stockton. He’s really played well, but he’s not the best quarterback in this game,” Finebaum said. “Keelon Russell can manage a game like I’ve never seen from a freshman, and they have a good running game.”
Georgia will enter the game without running back Chauncey Bowens, who was ruled out after getting hurt against Vanderbilt. Bowens has 164 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 35 carries, and Finebaum said the absence matters.
“Georgia has lost one of its top two running backs,” Finebaum said. “That’s a big deal in a game like this.”
In Other News...
Alabama-Georgia GameDay Plans Just Changed Because Of The Weather
With Hurricane Isaias approaching, Alabamas biggest pregame stage is getting a change of scenery. ESPNs College GameDay will still roll into Tuscaloosa for the matchup with Georgia, but the shows set is being moved inside Coleman Coliseum instead of its usual outdoor spot, turning a familiar Saturday tradition into something a little less predictable.
James Spann, the longtime Alabama weatherman, is scheduled to join the broadcast early with an update on the conditions that forced the move. The show begins at 8 a.m. CT on ESPN, and former Alabama player Bryce Young will handle guest picker duties, giving the Tide crowd plenty to watch before kickoff even arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Herbstreit Sees A Different Alabama Team Ahead Of Georgia Showdown
Kirk Herbstreit sees a version of Alabama that looks different from the one fans got used to during the Nick Saban era, and the changes he pointed to are the kinds that matter most in October. Under Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide have opened the 2026 season 5-0, and Herbstreit said the team has looked healthier, more balanced in the running game and sturdier on both lines of scrimmage while the defense has also taken a step forward.
With Georgia next, the conversation around Alabama is shifting from adjustment to proof point, and Herbstreit praised DeBoer for sticking with his own coaching style even with the pressure that comes with the job. The bigger question now is whether this altered version of the Tide can carry those improvements into a game that will say a lot about just how real the early surge has been. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Backcourt Depth Already Facing An Early Concern
Alabamas backcourt depth took an early hit this week when Nate Oats said guard Anderson Diaz will be sidelined for about a month after suffering an elbow injury. The good news for the Crimson Tide is that surgery wont be needed, and the plan now shifts to rehab as the staff works to get him back by early November.
Diaz is a recent addition to Alabamas 2026-27 roster after reclassifying, so the setback comes before he has even had a chance to settle into the programs future plans. It is not a long-term issue, but it is still an unwelcome one for a team that values guard depth and wants to keep building continuity in the backcourt. [Read more 🡒]