Paul Finebaum is sticking with the crowd on Alabama-Kentucky.
With SEC play opening Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, the longtime analyst joined the rest of the “SEC Nation” panel in backing Alabama to handle Kentucky in the conference’s first matchup of the season. Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel and Roman Harper had already gone with the Crimson Tide, and Finebaum followed suit after thanking the home crowd for the welcome.
“You guys are one of the greatest crowds if not the best we've ever had, it's been unbelievable,” Finebaum told the pro-Kentucky crowd. “These are great people, but unfortunately, just because you're great people doesn't mean you're going to win the game. Alabama wins.”
The game arrives with both teams sitting at 1-0, but the stakes around it feel a little different. Kentucky is trying to give Will Stein a loud debut against an SEC opponent, while Alabama is trying to avoid the kind of road slip that has burned it before under Kalen DeBoer.
Both teams opened 2026 against Group of Six or FCS competition, and both walked away looking sharp. Alabama rolled past East Carolina, 48-10, with 38 of those points coming before halftime. Keelon Russell was a big part of that fast start, completing 18 of 30 passes for 256 yards while also leading the Tide on the ground with 86 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Kentucky made an even cleaner first impression in Stein’s first game, beating Youngstown State 45-13. Kenny Minchey turned in a standout debut of his own, throwing for 301 yards and four touchdowns. For Kentucky fans, that kind of quarterback play has been a welcome change after a decade of middling results at the position under Mark Stoops.
Still, the history between these programs leaves very little suspense. Alabama owns a 39-2-1 edge in the series, one of the most one-sided records anywhere in SEC football.
Kentucky’s last win over Alabama came in 1997, a 40-34 result in Lexington when Mike DuBose was in his first season and Tim Couch was the Wildcats’ quarterback. Before that, the Wildcats’ only other victory over the Crimson Tide was a 6-0 win in Lexington in 1922.
In Other News...
Kroger Field Upgrades Already Have Kentucky Fans Frustrated
Kentucky opened the Will Stein era with a comfortable 45-13 win over Youngstown State, but the mood around Kroger Field was not entirely about the scoreboard. The university had gone into the season with a few noticeable game-day changes, including a new host and upgraded speakers meant to sharpen the in-stadium experience and give the building more energy.
Instead, fans came away talking about how thin the sound felt, especially on the visiting sideline, where the system seemed to fall short of the atmosphere Kentucky was hoping to create. For a program trying to set a new tone under Stein, the frustration is that the first big test of the game-day upgrades did not match the promise of the setup. [Read more 🡒]
Will Stein Just Turned Kentuckys Alabama Opener Into A Pressure Test
Will Stein has barely settled into Kentuckys job, and already his first SEC home opener is carrying a little extra edge. After a debut win over Youngstown State, the Wildcats are now getting ready for Alabama at Kroger Field, a matchup that will tell a lot more about where this team stands and how fast Steins program can grow. The early tone around the game has reflected that urgency, with Stein initially trying to pump up the atmosphere and make sure the place feels like a true home-field factor.
Stein later backed off the rowdier part of that message and shifted toward a more measured call for fans to be loud, respectful and responsible. Even without the alcohol-sneaking chatter attached to the original pitch, the bigger point remains the same for Kentucky: this is supposed to be a statement afternoon, and the Wildcats need the building to feel like one. Alabama does not offer many chances to make a first impression, so if Kroger Field is going to matter, it has to matter from the opening kick. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Is Making A Serious Early Push For One Elite Visitor
Kentucky is getting an early look at one of the biggest names in the 2027 recruiting class, with Lewis Uvwo set to visit Lexington as Mark Pope keeps pressing for elite talent. Uvwo has quickly become one of the most closely watched young prospects in the country, and the Wildcats are treating him like a priority from the start, which says plenty about how aggressively this staff wants to build its future front line.
What makes the push notable is how personal Kentucky has made it before Uvwo even arrived on campus. Pope recently met with Uvwo and his teammate at Prolific Prep in Florida ahead of the visit, a sign the Wildcats are not waiting around in this recruitment. For a program trying to stay in the mix for top-tier prospects, the next step in Lexington could matter quite a bit. [Read more 🡒]