Paul Finebaum sees Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama turning a corner, and he didn’t hold back while drawing a line between the Crimson Tide’s surge and Lane Kiffin’s troubles.
After Alabama’s 31-13 road win over No. 14 LSU, Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic that “smart people” had already figured out DeBoer is an elite coach.
The bigger question, he said, is whether Alabama fans believe he matches what they expect from the job. In Finebaum’s view, the LSU win should go a long way toward convincing them that DeBoer can deliver in the biggest spots.
That victory mattered even more because of the noise around Alabama earlier in the week. Many had wondered why the Crimson Tide were slotted No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, but the result in Baton Rouge quieted plenty of that chatter.
Alabama moved to 7-2 and now heads into games against Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn with a strong path to the playoff. The win over LSU, as the source put it, pretty much clinched a CFP berth.
Finebaum also took aim at the buildup around LSU before Saturday. He said the media had elevated the Tigers a bit too much, then turned his attention to Kiffin, arguing that the coach simply cannot get past Alabama and may never beat the Crimson Tide before his career is over. Finebaum went even further, saying DeBoer handled Kiffin in a way that even Nick Saban might have struggled to do.
The LSU performance fit into a strong stretch for Alabama. The Crimson Tide also had a convincing win over Texas A&M and have now put together back-to-back statement victories. Finebaum’s criticism of Kiffin came with the reminder that LSU has not looked like the team many expected after its Week 1 blowout of Clemson.
Still, Alabama’s season has not been spotless. The three-point loss to Georgia in a controversial finish does not carry the same weight as the 26-10 loss to Tennessee, a game that stung because the Volunteers had not even settled their quarterback situation. That was the kind of game Saban could have won in his sleep.
DeBoer will get more chances to prove the LSU win was part of a real trend, not just a one-night spike. Alabama has the roster to make a deep College Football Playoff run, but Finebaum’s point was clear: if the Crimson Tide are going to chase a national title, DeBoer has to keep this team playing at a high level every week. That consistency, for now, is still the missing piece.
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Alabama May Be Giving Austin Mack A Huge Chance At Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury has opened the door for Austin Mack, and Alabama appears willing to let the former five-star recruit take some meaningful snaps against Vanderbilt. With Russell banged up, head coach Kalen DeBoer said Mack could see the field in an effort to protect the starter for the games ahead, giving the Crimson Tide a chance to see what they have in a quarterback who has spent most of his time waiting behind the scenes.
For Mack, the timing matters. He has had limited playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa, but this could be the kind of opportunity that changes the conversation around his future, especially with a possible transfer in the background. Vanderbilt may not be the biggest stage on Alabamas schedule, but it could be a valuable one for a quarterback still trying to show he can handle real game action. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Defensive Front Just Got A Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
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Terrance Greens return from injury helped make that happen. He made his presence felt with a sack of his own and steady work against the run, giving Alabamas defensive front a more complete look and drawing praise from the coaching staff for the way he changed the lines energy. For a unit that has been searching for consistency up front, Greens impact may have been just as important as the numbers beside Thompkins name. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Forced A Playoff Ranking Debate Fans Will Obsess Over
Alabamas win over LSU has done more than pad the rsum in November. It has reopened the kind of playoff-rankings debate that gets college football fans arguing all week, with analysts split on where the Crimson Tide should land when the next set of rankings comes out. Some see the victory as the kind of statement that can push Alabama as high as No. 3 or No. 4, while others think the committee could still leave the Tide closer to the middle of the top 10.
The messier part is what it means for Tennessee, because the comparison between the two teams is now impossible to ignore. Head-to-head results and strength of schedule both have a way of complicating the conversation, and Alabamas latest win only sharpened the question of how much weight the committee will give each factor. However it shakes out, this is the sort of ranking fight that could linger well beyond Tuesday night. [Read more 🡒]