Ohio State and Alabama officially announced a home-and-home football series in the summer of 2020, with games set for September 18, 2027, in Columbus and September 9, 2028, in Tuscaloosa. The series was poised to mark the first regular-season meetings between the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide.
Now, a little more than 580 days out, Alabama appears likely to cancel the highly anticipated matchup. ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum recently joined Columbus sports radio station 97.1 The Fan to weigh in on the situation and share his thoughts.
“I sincerely doubt the Alabama game is going to happen based on what I’ve heard from Alabama’s AD,” Finebaum said. “He’s got a shaky situation there anyway with a coach that is in trouble.”
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As we saw when Texas lost to Ohio State in Week 1 of the 2025 season, that early defeat likely cost the Longhorns a trip to the College Football Playoff. Programs across the country, especially in the SEC, are becoming more cautious about scheduling the marquee non-conference games they agreed to years ago. Why take the risk?
With the SEC set to move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, Finebaum believes Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne will prioritize risk management over opening the season against elite competition. In the current CFP format, losing more than two games can be a death sentence. From that perspective, why willingly add another potential loss to the schedule? That appears to be the mindset in Tuscaloosa right now.
Finebaum was critical of Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and suggested Byrne is likely to cancel the home-and-home with Ohio State to shield DeBoer from a high-stakes non-conference matchup in both 2027 and 2028.
If Alabama does officially pull the plug, it would be a disappointment for fans of both programs and for college football as a whole. Watching these two powerhouses meet in the regular season for the first time would be must-see TV. If this series ends up being canceled, it would show just how much college football continues to evolve year after year. Programs are weighing more variables than ever before, from expanded conference schedules to playoff positioning and long-term roster management. Home and home agreements made five or six years ago are now being reconsidered because a single loss can dramatically alter, or even derail, an entire season
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Paul Finebaum believes Alabama will pull plug on Ohio State series
