Paul Finebaum calls for Alabama to return to Nick Saban: ‘Bring him back today’
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Paul Finebaum, like the rest of SEC nation, watched as No. 8 Alabama went to Tallahassee on Saturday afternoon and got absolutely embarrassed by an unranked Florida State team.
The Seminoles’ offense, led by former Auburn head coach and familiar Alabama thorn Gus Malzahn, posted 230 rushing yards and dual-threat QB Thomas Castellanos backed up his offseason trash talk.
This isn’t the sort of loss we’re used to seeing from Alabama, but it has become shockingly commonplace already under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, who was given the impossible task of replacing the legendary Nick Saban.
Speaking of Saban, who is now a College GameDay panelist, fans have weighed in that this wouldn’t have happened under his watch. Finebaum agrees. During Monday’s edition of “Get Up!” on ESPN, host Mike Greenberg asked if Saban needs to un-retire to fix the Tide. Finebaum said that was a fact:
“That would be fact,” Finebaum says.” Bring him back. Get him off the GameDay set. Put him out there today. Don’t waste a moment. (The loss) was that bad. This team is soft. They’re undisciplined. You have a left tackle who’s supposed to be the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country. He got blown up a couple of times.
“And just one more thing… Julian Saying, the quarterback at Ohio State. He was on the roster when Kalen DeBoer got there. Kalen DeBoer mispronounced his name (and) he was gone. Caleb Downs, remember him? He was on the roster. You wonder why Ohio State is looking so good right now and Alabama is looking shaky.
“And besides, Nick Saban is wasting his time on GameDay. With all due respect to the network, 3.5 million people watching, but please, bosses … let him go, let him out of the contract, let him be there Saturday at Nick Saban Field.”
Obviously, there’s the small matter of a buyout that’s in the $70 million range for DeBoer, so it would take quite the financial commitment to fire him. We’ll see what happens the rest of this season, but if DeBoer can’t turn things around for the Tide, Year 3 might not happen.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
