SEC fans can have a complicated relationship with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. He can be completely insufferable, and yet, you still want him to say good things about your team. Well, if you’re an Alabama fan, then you’re in luck, because Finebaum gave Kalen DeBoer rave reviews for his 2025 turnaround.
While the program could not and would not make a move on Kalen DeBoer this early into his tenure with such a massive buyout in his contract, Alabama fans were hoping to hit the lottery to pay him to go away. From the fans who were used to national championships under Nick Saban, the Week 1 loss to Florida State was unacceptable.
However, since that loss to the Seminoles, Alabama has won seven-straight games, including four in a row against ranked SEC opponents with no bye week in between, becoming the first team in conference history to accomplish that feat. South Carolina gave DeBoer another scare on the road in Week 9, but Finebaum sees that win over the Gamecocks as just another feather in the head coach’s cap.
Paul Finebaum spoke on Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, saying the “majority” were wrong about their early season thoughts about the Crimson Tide’s head coach and calling the coaching job to rebound after the Florida State loss one of the best he’s ever seen. pic.twitter.com/J4cVpsYWPC
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) October 27, 2025
Finebaum calls Kalen DeBoer’s coaching job “one of the best” he’s ever seen
That’s high praise from Finebaum, but the season is still a long way from finished. After a Week 10 bye, the Crimson Tide will play host to LSU, and that game could be tricky considering the program’s bold firing of Brian Kelly.
Alabama stomped the Tigers in Baton Rouge a year ago, with Jalen Milroe running wild. There’s no reason to think they won’t do the same again this year. However, LSU could get a significant jolt of energy from Frank Wilson, as plenty of teams do with an interim head coach. If the Tide overlook the Tigers, it could be trouble.
After LSU, Alabama is set to welcome Oklahoma to Bryant-Denny Stadium a year after the Sooners knocked the Tide out of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Then, they finish with Eastern Illinois and a trip to Jordan-Hare for the Iron Bowl.
At 7-1, with an undefeated record in the SEC, Alabama certainly can survive another loss and still make the CFP. That buffer could come in handy down the stretch, but for DeBoer to cement his case as pulling off one of the best coaching jobs Finebaum has ever seen, it’d be best not to use it.