ESPN analyst David Pollack made some interesting comments this week, saying he thinks Alabama is out of the title race without injured WR Jaylen Waddle.

Yes, Waddle’s injury hurts the Tide’s dynamic offense, but Alabama has a lot of depth on that side of the ball. Plus, Alabama is still undefeated, so to rule them out now is a bit premature.

That’s what SEC Network host Paul Finebaum seems to think, anyway. During an appearance on WNSP-FM 105.5, Finebaum said there’s no reason to rule Alabama out just yet (via AL.com):

“That’s ridiculous,” Finebaum said about Pollack’s comments. “Alabama’s still a legitimate candidate. … To me, it will not effect Alabama during the regular season, so you’re talking about three more games: Either Georgia or Florida in the SEC Championship Game, then the semis and finals.

“Could Waddle’s injury hurt them? Yeah, because he’s a game-changer. He’s the most explosive player in the game. To say Alabama’s national championship hopes are over because they lost one player is patently ridiculous.”

Alabama takes on Mississippi State’s stout defense this week. We’ll get our first look at how QB Mac Jones and the Tide offense fares without Waddle.