Paul Finebaum Names College Football Program He's 'Pretty High' On

The Alabama Crimson Tide will be one of the biggest stories in college football this season.

The Crimson Tide are entering Year 3 under head coach Kalen DeBoer. He went 9-4 in Year 1, but didn't make the College Football Playoff. In Year 2, he improved to 11-4, made the SEC Championship Game and made the College Football Playoff.

However, things didn't end well as Alabama lost 38-3 to the Indiana Hoosiers.

This season comes with pressure because DeBoer is still trying to prove he's the right man to lead Alabama in the post-Nick Saban era. Until he gets the Crimson Tide back to a legit title contender, the fan base won't be sold.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on in the second half. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Alabama's Quarterback Problem

One thing going against DeBoer and Alabama this season is that he will have his third different starting quarterback. In Year 1, he had Jalen Milroe. In Year 2, he had Ty Simpson. In Year 3, he will have either Austin Mack or Keelon Russell.

Mack is a redshirt junior who followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa from Washington. He's thrown just 35 passes in his career for 267 yards and three scores. Russell was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class. He's thrown just 15 passes in his career for 143 yards and two scores. So, not much experience at the quarterback position.

Paul Finebaum Points to Schedule

One thing going for the Crimson Tide is the schedule. According to ESPN's Paul Finebaum, on "The Paul Finebaum Show," Alabama has one of the easiest schedules in the SEC.

"I'm pretty high on Alabama," Finebaum said. "I think Alabama has maybe the easiest schedule in the SEC. Their two toughest games are very obvious. They're Georgia at home and at LSU. I would say Texas A&M is the next game... Those are the three games they could lose."

The schedule is a fair point by Finebaum. The Crimson Tide face the Florida State Seminoles at home in the non-conference. Florida State is coming off a bad year, but did dominate Alabama to start the season. They also get Georgia and Texas A&M at home.

Alabama's Offensive Line Concerns

The tricky one is Tennessee. Finebaum dismissed the idea that it'll be an easy win for Alabama, but the Crimson Tide have lost the last two in Knoxville. So, it isn't a foregone conclusion that Alabama will win that, especially if the offensive line and the running game aren't improved.

The offensive line has been a major talking point this offseason, so much so that it's been reported that the offensive line has been a disaster this offseason. Not having a good offensive line or running game is not a good combo for a new starter at quarterback.

A manageable schedule may help Alabama stay in the playoff conversation, but it won't fix the flaws that have held the Crimson Tide back under DeBoer.

If the offensive line can't protect the quarterback and the run game remains stuck in neutral, it won't matter how favorable the slate looks. Alabama has enough talent to get back to the CFP, but whether it can do any real damage once it gets there will depend on whether those problems are actually solved.

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