Paul Finebaum defends Pete Golding, points finger at Nick Saban

Paul Finebaum isn’t letting Nick Saban escape Saturday’s loss against Tennessee blameless.

While Alabama faithful have tried to fire everyone from Bill O’Brien to Pete Golding for the Crimson Tide falling to the Volunteers, Finebaum joined McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning to defend the embattled coordinators, pointing the finger directly at the head coach.

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“I think it was expected, we’ve been pointing towards this for some time, with all the other close calls,” began Finebaum. “I’m more interested in some of the reaction and some of the excuses. I’ve been there for a lot of times for Alabama football, where we’ve come to these junctures and this isn’t anyone else’s fault. This isn’t Gary and Brad’s fault, this isn’t the officiating’s fault. This isn’t Pete Golding’s fault, this isn’t Bill O’Brien’s fault. He gets the praise for everything that happens at the University of Alabama and for good reason, he’s the greatest coach of all time, but ultimately this season lies with Nick Saban.

“I don’t think it’s an ESPN narrative to say that this is his worst coaching job at Alabama. I think that speaks very clearly in the lack of discipline, the absolutely unbelievable and astronomical number of penalties and his coaching quite frankly at the end of the game. I like where Coach Saban said I thought the defense was soft, as if that was Pete Golding’s fault and he was down on the river with the Vol Navy, lighting his stogie up and having some Oysters Rockefeller. That’s on Nick Saban, he’s the head coach of this school and I just find it comical at times when everyone wants to blame everyone else other than the man in charge.”

Regardless, Saban has earned the right to escape criticism at times, but as Finebaum mentioned, Alabama hasn’t been playing sound football throughout the season. Against teams like Texas, Arkansas and Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide narrowly escaped, with their comeuppance finally coming at the hands of Tennessee.

Alas, Paul Finebaum and the rest of the college football world knows Alabama is far from finished in 2022, and they’re still likely guaranteed a College Football Playoff spot if they win out. Still, losing to Tennessee is a tough pill to swallow, and the Crimson Tide won’t win much if they play the way they did on Saturday.