Paul Finebaum labels Alabama as Texas' biggest challenger in the SEC

Paul Finebaum believes Texas is the team to beat in the SEC and college football as a whole in 2025. Who’s its top competition, though? That’s a debate he’s willing to have, and the SEC Network analyst is backing Alabama.

“I think it’s Alabama,” Finebaum proclaimed, via Get Up. “A lot of people, amazingly, have forgotten about Alabama. Without Nick Saban, they missed the Playoff. They’ve lost more games than they have since 2007. I believe they’re better at quarterback. That sounds crazy, with Ty Simpson against Jalen Milroe, who was amazing at times, but also terrible at times. I think they have elite wide receivers. They have probably the second-best wide receiver in the country in Ryan Williams. Their defense is going to be top-notch.

“They also go to Georgia. The problem there is Georgia lost Alabama (last season), so a little bit of a revenge game. But I think they manage their season very well.”

Kalen DeBoer will certainly be hoping Finebaum is right. If he can ease the loss of Nick Saban with a return to the College Football Playoff in 2025, Alabama fans will begin to see him in a different light. Although the standard is national titles for the Crimson Tide, he’ll need to do more than simply get to the dance.

Is Alabama Texas’ top challenger in the SEC?

As for Finebaum’s colleague in Heather Dinich, she wasn’t as favorable towards Alabama. The ESPN analyst thinks Georgia and LSU will be better, and they’re more suited to compete with Texas in 2025.

“I would say it’s hard not to say Georgia, because of the history, but we know more about LSU, with Brian Kelly and Garrett Nussmeier,” Dinich responded. “They have me convinced that this team is capable of competing at the championship level.

“A lot of that has to do with the depth, the improvements that they have on defense, and simply Nussmeier taking the next step as a quarterback, cutting back on some of those interceptions that can be forced, with his ability to run the ball. I’m looking for improvement out of him. I would say LSU is going to get into the Playoff at the expense of Alabama.”

Whether it’s Texas, Alabama, Georgia or LSU, the SEC figures to have multiple contenders in the College Football Playoff race. It remains to be seen which teams can separate themselves from the pack, but it’s certainly an exciting time to be a fan in the conference, with a bevy of fascinating squads competing for the top spot.