Paul Finebaum just a few weeks ago was 1 of the harshest critics of Alabama and the way the Crimson Tide were playing under 1st year coach Kalen DeBoer.

First, Alabama was upset by Vanderbilt in one of the biggest upsets in SEC history. The Crimson Tide followed that up with a loss 2 games later at Tennessee.

It was the first time that Alabama had at least 2 losses entering November since 2007. Finebaum, like many analysts, was already wondering if the Crimson Tide made a mistake in their choice of DeBoer.

During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum gave the Crimson Tide and DeBoer a ton of credit for the way the Tide have responded. That includes a Saturday night beat down of LSU, in Death Valley no less.

“It was a masterclass,” Finebaum said. “It was really incredible to watch and I do remember it was maybe about 4 weeks ago, standing with Greg in Knoxville, and he (said) he felt better about this team. It caught my attention a little bit, and I think what we’re seeing now is just a little bit of patience from Kalen DeBoer. Not panicking after the Tennessee game. And this team right now looks like a potential national championship team. 4 weeks ago it looked like they were done for the season.

“It’s remarkable to watch. I think it was as equally positive on the Alabama side as it was negative on the LSU side. But right now Alabama is in a perfect position.”

The Crimson Tide had to win this game if they wanted to keep their College Football Playoff chances alive, and they did just that. Their last 3 games are against Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn, which should allow them to win out.