Paul Finebaum takes the pulse of Alabama fans with College Football Playoff in doubt

Last week, Alabama lost to LSU and was seemingly knocked out of the College Football Playoff race. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide played in another tight SEC battle, this time against Ole Miss. Alabama pulled out the 30-24 victory over the Rebels, but SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum still senses disappointment from the fanbase.

Finebaum recapped Week 11 alongside ESPN’s Matt Barrie on Saturday, where he assessed the current feeling among Alabama fans. He believes that they expected to win against Ole Miss on Saturday, but in the big picture there is still plenty of frustration.

“It’s a tug of war,” Finebaum said when asked about where Alabama fans are at. “Winning helped a little bit yesterday, but really that’s not a – Alabama never looks at Ole Miss as a game they have any chance of losing. And I know they have lost twice when Hugh Freeze was there. But that’s not really one of those games that they worry about or care about. So they expected to win yesterday.”

Finebaum hasn’t been shy about his criticism of Saban over recent weeks, but the fanbase might not be in the same place. Instead, Finebaum senses the disappointment largely pointed towards coordinators Pete Golding and Bill O’Brien.

“They’re really disappointed and distraught and careful not to criticize Saban, especially when it comes to coaching decisions,” said Finebaum. “They would much rather call for the heads of Pete Golding and Bill O’Brien, that makes them feel better and they’re pretty much demanding it.

“Last week on our program, we got a moderately decent read on Alabama fans. They were belligerent, I mean they would’ve been happy if Saban fired both coaches walking out of the stadium in Baton Rouge last week, even though I thought Golding’s unit played pretty well.”

Finebaum on how Georgia plays into Alabama’s frustrations

After starting off 6-0, Alabama has split its last four games. The Crimson Tide lost to Tennessee and LSU by a combined four points, while picking up wins over Mississippi State and Ole Miss as well.

On paper, it might not seem like things have truly gone off the rails for Alabama. But with a berth in the College Football Playoff unlikely, frustration is clear and expected. And with Kirby Smart and Georgia in position to contend for a second consecutive national title, the frustrations could only continue to build for fans of the Crimson Tide.

“It’s a hollow feeling,” Finebaum added. “And the worst part about it is Georgia. If Kirby Smart wins another national championship, they’re gonna look at that and say, OK, in the era of Nick Saban, his prodigy has now won two straight national championships. You can’t ignore that.”

Alabama is ranked No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. They will likely be in a similar position when the updated College Football Playoff rankings are unveiled on Tuesday night.