Paul Finebaum Names Historic SEC Program He Can't Go 'All in' For

The Alabama Crimson Tide are entering a pressure-packed 2026 college football season.

The Crimson Tide are coming off an 11-4 season in which they made the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. That normally would be a good season for any other program; however, the issue was that Alabama was blown out 28-7 by the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game and 38-3 by the Indiana Hoosiers in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff after beating the Oklahoma Sooners 34-24 in the first round.

Kalen DeBoer Can't Afford a Setback

The Crimson Tide are a program about winning championships. Not just getting to the games and being in contention. The fans understand they won't win it every year, but you better be competitive when you get there. Alabama was not.

That's why the 2026 season is so important for head coach Kalen DeBoer. He's entering his third season in Tuscaloosa and needs to show the fan base that Alabama made the right hire.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks to the press. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the Crimson Tide to improve, the running game has to be better. Last season, Alabama ranked No. 125 in rushing offense. The worst of any team that made the CFP. However, the chances of that improving took a hit when it was announced that sophomore running back AK Dear would miss six weeks due to an ankle injury.

Paul Finebaum Isn't Ready to Buy Alabama as a 2026 Contender

Dear was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the 2025 recruiting class and was hoping to have a role this upcoming season. That injury and more are why ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he can't fully wrap his head around Alabama.

"I feel moderately upbeat, but I can't go all in, and it's probably the lowest prediction I would have made for Alabama in a long time," Finebaum said. "I feel like they are capable of nine wins, which could get them in the playoffs. I see the path to do better, but I'll tell you, I don't like the early signs out of camp. There have already been a couple of injuries that make me uncomfortable for a team that has deficiencies."

Kalen DeBoer Faces a Critical Third Season

Ultimately, this season is about more than Alabama's record. DeBoer needs to demonstrate that the program is moving toward the standard expected in Tuscaloosa.

An 11-win season and another playoff appearance would be viewed very differently if Alabama can actually compete against the nation's best teams. But another disappointing postseason showing, especially if the offense continues to have major deficiencies, would only intensify the questions surrounding DeBoer's fit.

Finebaum isn't writing Alabama off. he can see a path to nine wins and potentially another playoff berth. But the early injuries and concerns have made it difficult for him to fully commit to the Crimson Tide.

For DeBoer, that's the challenge heading into 2026: turn Alabama's considerable talent into a team that looks capable of winning the games that matter most.

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