Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Program He's 'Fairly Upbeat' On

The Alabama Crimson Tide has been one of the most dominant programs in the history of the sport. Their run from 2007 to 2023 under head coach Nick Saban will likely never be duplicated.

During that period, the team won six national championships, and Saban cemented himself as arguably the best coach in the history of college football.

However, following the 2023 season, Saban retired and joined the "College GameDay" crew as an analyst for the flagship show. He cited the way things were trending for the sport with NIL and the transfer portal.

Replacing Nick Saban Was Never Going To Be Easy

Filling those shoes is not an easy task for anyone. You are expected to keep the dynasty rolling, no matter how likely that is. That's the position that Kalen DeBoer is in. In his first season, fans were already calling for his job as he led Alabama to a 9-4 record, but missed the College Football Playoff.

In Year 2, things got better. Alabama went 10-4, made the SEC Championship Game, but lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. They also made the College Football Playoff and avenged a regular-season loss to Oklahoma before losing 38-3 to the Indiana Hoosiers.

Alabama Crimson Tide players and head coach Kalen Deboer walk on the field. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Likes Alabama's Chances

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst said he spoke with people at the SEC Spring meetings this past week and, after speaking with them, he's optimistic due to two young stars.

"In talking to people down there, I came away fairly upbeat on Alabama this year," Finebaum said. I think they feel they really like Keelon Russell now the Austin Mack love affair continues, but that could just be to protect the flank. I think this (freshman running back EJ) Crowell, that Nick Kelly told us about the other day, is a keeper. The question mark, of course, is the offensive line. I think the defense is good enough. The schedule is manageable."

Alabama's QB Battle Might Define the Season

As Finebaum mentioned, there is a quarterback battle happening for Alabama. This marks three straight years that DeBoer will have a different starting quarterback. The battle is between Austin Mack, a redshirt junior who followed DeBoer from the Washington Huskies, and Keelon Russell, a five-star last year who is a redshirt freshman.

Neither player has a ton of experience. Mack has been a backup throughout his career, and Russell was just on the team last season. The issue DeBoer faces is that despite improvement in Year 2, that season wasn't up to standards.

The fan base likely won't give him a grace period, given the new quarterback this season. They expect him to win and win big. That's what he signed up for when leaving Washington, and that's what he will be tasked to accomplish this season.

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