Paul Finebaum reveals Alabama's biggest concerns following close win at Texas

Alabama did what it expected to do at Texas by coming away with a victory. But the Crimson Tide dropped in the rankings because they didn’t dominate the game as many expected them to do — and Paul Finebaum had some concerns.

Finebaum appeared on “First Take” alongside Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith and listed a few problems he saw. He said Alabama fell short in some areas it was supposed to succeed, on both sides of the ball. But he pointed to a few on offense and directly called out Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s decision-making.

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“There are a lot of concerns, Molly,” Finebaum said. “First of all, the offensive line was not good. The play-calling was even worse. That’s at Bill O’Brien, the former NFL head coach. And what we all thought was going to be the key to this team was the wide receivers, and they were average, as well.

“So, there are a lot of concerns. There’s plenty of time to correct these concerns. The defense was sloppy, as well, Stephen A. We were expecting Will Anderson to be in New York at the end of the season and he still may be for the Heisman. He made a lot of silly mistakes.”

Paul Finebaum discusses Alabama’s need to block out the noise

When Finebaum appeared on “First Take” last week, Smith predicted Alabama — a more than 20-point favorite — would beat Texas in a blowout. At the time, Finebaum said the players would hear what he said and it could impact their performance.

Considering the game came down to the final possession — and the leg of Will Reichard — Finebaum talked about how important it is to block out the noise, even if it’s tough in the digitally connected world.

“I think back to what you said a minute ago. We’re joking, but those are young guys who have their hand on their phones when they’re not at practice and they’re watching TV and they’re keeping up with what was happening,” Finebaum said. “I’m joking about this, but I’m being serious on both sides of my mouth that what you said last week here resonated. It was viral. When Stephen A. Smith talks about a beatdown, it’s a big deal in Alabama because of the affection that that program has for you. You’ve been there a number of times

“And I think it’s hard — it doesn’t matter who you are — you’re hearing this, you’re hearing it from your friends, you’re seeing it all over the place and you also know this: You’re going to play Texas, a team that has done nothing in 15 years. They had a losing season last year. So it’s hard to mentally get up for that game as opposed to a game when you’re playing a Georgia or someone that really matters.”