‘I’d put them in there over Ohio State’ – Paul Finebaum just handed an SEC program a massive dose of rat poison originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Nick Saban is no longer the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, but he almost certainly recognized the rat poison Paul Finebaum dished out to his former employer this week.
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Saban famously believed that praise from the media directed toward his team was the equivalent of “rat poison” during his time as the head coach at Alabama.
And what Finebaum said about Alabama on Tuesday during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning definitely qualifies as rat poison.
Finebaum made it clear that he thinks Alabama is a national championship contender in 2025. He also thinks the Crimson Tide should’ve been ranked higher than No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
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“Right now, I take everything coming out of Tuscaloosa that I hear as a really positive sign because that’s all I’m hearing,” said Finebaum. “And I know some people say, ‘Hey it’s August we always hear this’ — not always. You hear whispers, sometimes. I haven’t heard anything that would indicate that this team is going to be anything but a national championship contender.”
“I have no trouble saying it — I think Alabama is a legitimate national championship contender,” continued Finebaum. “I think they were way too low (in the AP Top 25) yesterday — I don’t know if we’ve ever said that in modern times.
“But to me, they are a top two, top three, or top four team. I put them in there over Ohio State and a couple other schools as well. Maybe even Georgia, but since they’re playing in six weeks, I’m not going to get too hung up on stuff like that. But I really like [Alabama]. And so much of what I’m about to say sounds like I’m rehashing the last five months, but it started with nobody leaving. It continues with (starting quarterback) Ty Simpson. They have plugged so many holes, the recruiting has been outstanding, and the coaching staff is good for the first time since Kalen DeBoer got there. There were too many weaknesses last year, and we all know where those were, and they’ve been rectified.”
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Man, those are some high expectations for Alabama in 2025. If the Crimson Tide fail to reach the College Football Playoff for a second straight season, the noise will get loud for Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa. And really, reaching the playoff is the bare minimum for this Alabama team. Anything less than a trip to the semifinals, based on the comments from Finebaum, would be a massive letdown for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide.
The pressure is on DeBoer in year two. If he can’t deliver with one of the best rosters in college football, he may be in the market for a new job in the offseason.
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
