Paul Finebaum contextualizes Alabama losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma

Paul Finebaum was as surprised as anyone by what happened Saturday evening in Norman, where unranked Oklahoma delivered a shocking 24-3 loss to then-No. 7 Alabama.

In a road game where the Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-3 SEC) entered as an overwhelming two-touchdown favorite, it was the Sooners (6-5, 2-5) that looked like a College Football Playoff contender and not Alabama.

For many Tide fans, it elicited memories of another hard-to-swallow SEC loss earlier this season: the 40-35 defeat at the hands of host Vanderbilt on Oct. 5.

Finebaum acknowledged the similarities, but made the point that Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma was arguably worse given the immediate ramifications. That included the Tide losing out a chance at the SEC Championship game and potentially falling completely out of the College Football Playoff field.

“We all said – I said – the Vanderbilt loss was the worst loss in maybe the history of Alabama, and it’s possible this is worse, if there could be such a thing because of what the stakes were,” Finebaum said on Sunday’s The Matt Barrie Show podcast. “Alabama recovered from the Vanderbilt loss, (but) I think what we did is we read way too much into the Missouri win and the LSU win.”

Finebaum: Brent Venables ‘just a very good defensive coach’

Jalen Milroe appeared to revert back to his turnover-happy ways with three interceptions as the Tide struggled with a season-low 234 yards of total offense and only a first-quarter field goal from Graham Nicholson.

Alabama had a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Milroe to star freshman receiver Ryan Williams called back due to “illegal touching” that had fans everywhere crying foul. But Finebaum, for one, doesn’t buy officiating mistakes as a significant factor in Saturday’s setback at Oklahoma.

“I mean, yeah, there was a terrible call in the game, but did you see a game yesterday where there wasn’t a terrible call? So if the Williams touchdown had held up, Alabama has a breath at least, a pulse,” Finebaum said. “And, by the way, I’m a big fan of Brent Venables, but what he did against Nick Saban in national championship games really doesn’t have much to do. He’s just a very good defensive coach, and that’s all there is too it.”

Finebaum debates whether 3-loss SEC teams make 2024 CFP

Despite the setbacks Saturday, Finebaum isn’t completely ruling out the Crimson Tide or the Rebels of the Playoff. After all, they were revealed to be Heather Dinich’s first and second team out in Sunday morning’s projected CFP bracket. However, Finebaum wouldn’t be surprised if both teams are left out of the 12-team field entirely.

“I’m probably out. I think Ole Miss and Alabama are — I don’t know how you can make a case for either one of them, but the caveat there [for Alabama] is Georgia,” Finebaum said Sunday morning during his weekly ‘Paul In, Paul Out’ segment on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Let’s say Georgia gets to the SEC championship game and loses, perhaps, to Texas, a team it beat. Then we have a conversation, but that’s Alabama. I mean, what were we watching yesterday? Does anyone know?

“Even though Alabama beat Georgia, which makes it seem even more interesting, Georgia looks like a much better team right now. It is chaotic to think about but right now, Georgia still has a chance.”

Barkley Truax contributed to this report.