Kirk Herbstreit took a subtle shot at Paul Finebaum while praising Alabama’s resurgence after a rough season-opening loss to Florida State.
On his “Nonstop” podcast Monday, the ESPN analyst applauded the Crimson Tide’s 24-21 win over No. 5 Georgia in Week 5, calling it a program-defining moment for head coach Kalen DeBoer. Herbstreit also couldn’t resist mentioning how Finebaum would have framed things, if Alabama had fallen short.
“If he loses that game you could imagine the talk shows down there with Paul [Finebaum] and the boys,” Herbstreit said. “‘We got to fire this guy. He’s done.’ And now we believe.”
The victory snapped Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak and vaulted the Crimson Tide (3-1) to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 after starting the week ranked No. 17. For DeBoer, it was a critical response to mounting pressure, as the loss to Florida State had reignited conversations about his job security.
Finebaum has repeatedly labeled DeBoer as being on the “hot seat.” Following the Florida State defeat, Finebaum said DeBoer’s $70 million buyout made his situation precarious and that the coach’s “path is very narrow.”
Alabama’s win in Athens not only gave DeBoer a signature win, but also dropped Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s record against the Tide to 1-7, continuing the frustrating trend. One game can swing the national perception, especially for a program with Alabama’s history and expectations set under Nick Saban.
Finebaum is reportedly weighing a dramatic shift into politics. Multiple reports have linked him to a possible U.S. Senate run in Alabama, even as he remains under contract with ESPN.
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