Paul Finebaum Confident in Alabama’s Playoff Chances Despite QB Uncertainty

The Alabama Crimson Tide, led by head coach Kalen DeBoer, have made some real progress in the last two seasons. Even with questions swirling around the quarterback spot, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is still pretty upbeat about Alabama’s shot at the College Football Playoff (CFP).

This blog post takes a look at the main factors shaping Alabama’s upcoming season. There’s the schedule, the quarterback situation, and, of course, Finebaum’s always-colorful opinions.

The Journey So Far

Since Kalen DeBoer stepped in as head coach, Alabama’s performance has definitely improved. Last season, the Tide finished 11-4, which was a step up from their 9-4 record in 2024.

They made it to the SEC Championship Game but ran into a wall against the Georgia Bulldogs. Still, Alabama reached the College Football Playoff, took down the Oklahoma Sooners, and then lost to the Indiana Hoosiers in the quarterfinals.

Quarterback Carousel

The quarterback situation at Alabama has been, well, a bit of a merry-go-round lately. DeBoer’s first season saw Jalen Milroe start, then Ty Simpson last year.

This time, it’s a toss-up between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Neither has much game experience, which makes things interesting—and maybe a little nerve-wracking—for Alabama fans.

Austin Mack has only thrown 35 passes so far, totaling 267 yards and three touchdowns. Keelon Russell played just two games last season, going 11-of-15 for 143 yards and two scores.

That’s not a ton of experience for either guy, and it could be a stumbling block for Alabama’s playoff hopes.

Finebaum’s Optimism

Paul Finebaum, though, isn’t sweating it too much. On a recent episode of The Paul Finebaum Show, he got into it with a Miami Hurricanes fan, insisting Alabama’s got a real shot at heading back to the playoff.

He pointed out that Alabama’s schedule is a big reason for his confidence. It’s not exactly a murderers’ row.

Schedule Breakdown

Looking at this season, Alabama’s schedule is pretty manageable, with a few speed bumps. The toughest stretch is a four-game run against:

• Georgia
• at Tennessee
• Texas A&M
• at LSU

Other than those four, Alabama doesn’t play anyone expected to be ranked in the preseason poll. They also get a bye before facing LSU, which could help a lot.

Key Matchups

Finebaum figures that if Alabama can split those four tough games, a 10-2 finish is within reach. The Tennessee game stands out, since Alabama’s lost the last two in Knoxville.

But, they’ve done well against Georgia in the regular season lately, both home and away. Alabama’s also got a three-game win streak over LSU and has beaten Texas A&M twice in a row, though they haven’t played the Aggies since DeBoer took over.

Path to the Playoff

If Alabama gets steady quarterback play, their path to the CFP looks pretty open. Of course, just making the playoff isn’t the whole story.

After last season’s rough loss to Indiana, Alabama has to show they can not only get to the big stage, but actually keep up with the top teams once they’re there.

Finebaum’s claim that Alabama football is legitimate is hard to argue with, given their recent run and the schedule they’ve got lined up. If they can snag a few key wins and keep things consistent, Alabama’s got a real shot at making it back to the playoff—and maybe even chasing another national title.

Conclusion

The Alabama Crimson Tide are gearing up for a season full of questions, especially at quarterback. All eyes will be on how they handle that, and whether the schedule really is as manageable as it looks on paper.

Paul Finebaum seems pretty optimistic, and honestly, it’s hard to argue with Alabama’s track record. Still, the real story will come out when they hit those tougher games. Can they actually prove they’re still one of college football’s top teams? Guess we’ll see soon enough.

For a deeper dive, you can check out the full article on Paul Finebaum’s take on Alabama’s playoff hopes.