Paul Finebaum Fears 'Wolves Are Circling' National Championship Contender After Week 7 Loss

After decades covering the SEC, Paul Finebaum knows a team in trouble. And in discussing the SEC's wild Week 7, he pointed out one such team on The Matt Barrie Show. Staying ahead on the field is one thing, but Finebaum knows about the struggles with public opinion, particularly with one SEC power.

Finebaum's Tough Take

Asked about Alabama by Barrie, Finebaum cracked that the Tide "are on a resuscitator right now."

"Let's hope the machine works," said Finebaum. "Get them breathing again and get the back to a private hospital room right now because the wolves are circling."

Tide Troubles

Alabama suffered a devestating 26-10 loss to Tennessee in Week 7, giving them a second consecutive loss. While a 20-17 loss to Georgia was tough, it was not entirely unexpected and didn't particularly damage the Tide in the College Football Playoff hunt. The same can't be said for the Tennessee game.

Alabama still has the second best chance in the SECto reach the Playoff, per FPI. But that chance has dipped to just 49.4%. That leaves four other schools (Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas, and Kentucky) within 10% of the Tide in that category. For a program already dealing with the shadows of Nick Saban and his run of excellence, it's another headache for third-year coach Kalen DeBoer.

Tennessee was a particular area of dominance for Saban, who won his first 15 games at Alabama against the Vols. After suffering a walk-off field goal loss in 2022, he came back with a 34-20 win to finish his Alabama career with a 16-1 mark against Tennessee.

Alabama's Issues Under DeBoer

DeBoer is now 1-2 against the Vols. It's another poor trend for the coach who in 2 1/2 years has already racked up more four-loss seasons than Saban did in 17 years. The on-again, off-again hot seat for DeBoer may heat up again with a third regular-season loss, as that would likely eliminate the Tide from CFP consideration.

DeBoer came to Alabama from Washington after Saban's retirement, boasting a top-flight offense. But it's never quite hung together for the Tide. The 2024 season included a 19-3 loss to Oklahoma and a mere 260 yards of total offense in a season-ending 19-13 loss to Michigan. In 2025, Alabama finished the season with under 300 total yards in each of its last four games, scoring a combined 10 points in losses to Georgia and Indiana.

Alabama had just 201 total yards against Tennessee in Week 7. The Tide have allowed 21 sacks on the season, which is next to worst in the SEC. Alabama still has to play LSU on the road, but otherwise should benefit from a lighter schedule (Texas A&M, FCS Chattanooga, and Auburn at home, and Vanderbilt on the road is the other foe). But FInebaum's point is well-taken. It's a tough task for the Tide and Week 7 made it tougher.

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