50 Career Passes: Why Paul Finebaum Thinks Alabama Is a Title Contender Anyway

Alright, listen up, Emerald City! You won't believe what's buzzing in the college football world. ESPN's Paul Finebaum just dropped a bombshell, saying he's "pretty high" on the Alabama Crimson Tide for this season. I know, right? My first thought was, "Is he watching the same team?" Because if you peel back that SEC hype, the numbers on their quarterback room are wild, and not in a good way. Finebaum's confident, though, and it all boils down to one thing.

Kalen DeBoer's Hot Seat Is Getting Warmer

Let's be real, the pressure in Tuscaloosa is absolutely insane, especially trying to fill Nick Saban's shoes. Kalen DeBoer is heading into Year 3, and while he's had some good moments, he's still got a lot to prove to that fanbase. He rolled in Year 1 with a 9-4 record, but missed the College Football Playoff. Last year, he bumped it up to 11-4, made the SEC Championship Game, and actually *made* the CFP. Sounds good, right? Well, it all crashed and burned with a brutal 38-3 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. That kind of beatdown leaves a mark, and DeBoer needs to get Bama back to legitimate title contention, or those fans aren't going to be sold.

Alabama's Quarterback Rollercoaster

Here's the part that makes Finebaum's optimism so jarring. Alabama is staring down the barrel of their *third different starting quarterback* in three years under DeBoer. Think about that instability. Jalen Milroe was the guy in Year 1, then Ty Simpson took the reins in Year 2. Now? It's either redshirt junior Austin Mack or five-star recruit Keelon Russ

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ell. And get this: Mack, who followed DeBoer from Washington, has only thrown 35 passes in his entire career for 267 yards and three scores. Russell has even less experience, with just 15 passes for 143 yards and two scores. That's a grand total of just 50 career passes between the two guys battling for the starting job! Talk about a lack of experience heading into an SEC grind. Add in some major chatter about offensive line concerns this offseason, and you see why my buddy-text reflex is screaming "red flag!"

The Schedule Is the Real MVP

So, what's Finebaum's secret sauce for being so bullish on a team with such green QBs and O-line questions? It's simple, according to him on "The Paul Finebaum Show": Alabama has one of the easiest schedules in the SEC. Seriously. He broke it down, saying their two toughest games are obvious: Georgia at home and at LSU. He then threw Texas A&M into the mix as the next toughest, noting those are the three games they "could lose." Finebaum actually dismissed the idea that their game against Tennessee would be an easy win, pointing out Bama has lost the last two in Knoxville. But they do get Georgia and Texas A&M at home, which is a big advantage. Plus, their non-conference game is against Florida State at home. While FSU is coming off a "bad year," the source article noted they *did dominate Alabama* to start last season, so that's not a complete gimme. This season is shaping up to be a wild ride for Alabama. Finebaum might be high on them, but for the rest of us, it feels like DeBoer's got to prove that schedule advantage is enough to overcome a seriously unproven quarterback situation.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.