The Alabama Crimson Tide is scheduled to travel to Columbus for a game against Ohio State in the 2027 season. The Buckeyes are scheduled to play Alabama in Tuscaloosa the following season. Paul Finebaum says those games will be cancelled, " I sincerely doubt the Alabama game is going to happen based on what I've heard from Alabama's AD."
Credit Finebaum for likely being correct about a cancellation. The remainder of what Finebaum said should be ignored. He claimed that Alabama would duck the Buckeyes because Kalen DeBoer's "shaky situation" is the motivation for Greg Byrne to cancel the two-game series.
Alabama Crimson Tide should cancel the games
Alabama should cancel the games, but for a very different reason. Because SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey got hoodwinked into expanding the SEC conference schedule to nine games, every SEC football program should make adjustments. The Big Ten bullied the SEC into the change, driven by the principle that all schedules should be equal.
There is nothing equal about a 9-game Big Ten schedule and a 9-game SEC schedule. Indiana, Ohio State, and Michigan winning the last three national championships does not change the weakness in the bottom half of Big Ten football programs.
Not many months ago, it appeared that Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti were aligned to resolve debates over the college football playoff format. The Big Ten's proposal to expand the format to 24 teams splintered the duo's cooperation. There have been no recent indications that the two power bosses in college football will ever agree.
For SEC football fans, a nine-game SEC schedule is a plus. It helps reduce long intervals when teams do not play each other. The SEC football coaches who opposed the 9-game schedule were also correct. For coaches, their postseason futures could be negatively impacted by the extra game.
Perhaps the SEC and the Big Ten can learn to cooperate. Perhaps not. Either way, Alabama does not need games against the Buckeyes. If that also benefits Kalen DeBoer, there is nothing wrong with making his mountain somewhat easier to climb.