Paul Finebaum says Nick Saban needs a drink after Alabama's 2024 SEC schedule reveal

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are going to face some stiff competition during their 2024 campaign.

Hosting Auburn and Georgia, they will also travel to LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma in two seasons’ time. SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum thinks the only way Saban might maintain his sanity preparing for 2024’s star-studded lineup might be with some booze.

“The second week of the season, Alabama is at Wisconsin. So if you look at 2024, Alabama has Wisconsin, but they also play the two teams on the road that they lost to last year (Tennessee and LSU),” Finebaum said during the SEC Network broadcast. “I don’t know what Nick Saban is doing tonight, but I’m sure he’s looking around for a drink. His problems just got ratcheted up if he can’t find a [long-term] quarterback.”

The away game slate for the Crimson Tide might prove to be some trouble, but the home schedule is just as intriguing. Hosting the Iron Bowl is one thing — but to play Georgia inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in the regular season is a game that will have millions of eyeballs glued to the action.

Georgia and Alabama have played each other in two separate national championship games since 2017. They’ve battled for SEC Championship gold, national championships and now are set to do battle in Saban’s den.

“This [game] really the headline. I know we’re talking a lot about Texas and Oklahoma — and we should be — but people are actually saying that Georgia and Alabama are playing at some point throughout the season, but we don’t know when. It will be the game of the day — it will be the game of the year.”

ESPN insider reveals how new coordinators have impacted Alabama, Nick Saban

Nick Saban is used to dealing with a new coordinator hire but for the first time, there were two hires to make this offseason. Alabama welcome Tommy Rees to the show on the offensive end, while a veteran Kevin Steele returned to Tuscaloosa. After watching Georgia win back-to-back national championships, Saban will be hoping it’s a new era beginning in Tuscaloosa.

ESPN’s Chris Low recently spoke to Saban about the staff turnover, beginning with Steele. The two are very familiar with one another. Steele is back with the Alabama program for a third time and his second with the defensive coordinator title.

“Speaking to him on his staff — he’s had a lot of turnover the last few years on his staff,” Low said while making a Wednesday appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. “This is the first turnover he’s had on defense in a while. Pete Golding was there for several years, Kevin Steele is back in. It’s Kevin’s third different stint working for Nick.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report