Paul Finebaum calls out Alabama fans for doubting Nick Saban

Heading into the SEC Championship game, it seemed like Alabama and Georgia fans had one thing in common: both thought that the favored Bulldogs would find a way to beat Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.

Frankly, after Alabama barely escaped a mediocre Auburn team in four overtimes in the Iron Bowl, it didn’t seem too farfetched. Moreover, when Georgia jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Bulldogs looked to be in position to defeat the Crimson Tide. But as Paul Finebaum was quick to point out, it seemed like all these fans counted out Nick Saban being on the sidelines.

“In the midst of it all, so many people wrote Alabama off, including some of their own fans,” Finebaum said after the College Football Playoff reveal. “I can’t tell you how many times we received calls on our daily show, with fans wanting coordinators fired, complete upheaval. Everyone other than Nick Saban.”

While fans called for Saban’s assistants to be fired, everyone from the media to Las Vegas seemed to agree: Alabama was outmatched. Vegas pinned Alabama as a 6.5-point underdog. The narrative that labeled Alabama as an underdog was a welcome surprise for Nick Saban, who said the media helped create “yummy rat poison” in motivating his players.

“It was a frustrating, suffocating season,” Finebaum said. “Remarkably, it still expected as we go into the playoffs, with Alabama at No. 1.”

Alabama left no doubts in its win against Georgia, stringing together a 24-point second quarter after trailing in the first and heading into halftime with a 24-17 lead.

The Crimson Tide looked dominant from there on out. Bryce Young, the runaway favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, finished with 26 completions in 44 attempts, good for 421 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Alabama’s rushing attack was not quite as efficient as it’s been under Saban in the past, as Brian Robinson led all rushers with 16 carries for 55 yards, but Young managed to chip in on the ground as well. The quarterback added three carries for 40 yards and a touchdown, perhaps solidifying his campaign for college football’s greatest prize.

So, in spite of the narrative being written against Alabama, and regardless of the fact that just about everyone had picked Georgia, fans failed to recall one underlying fact in Alabama’s come-from-behind victory: Saban, the greatest coach of all time, was on the sidelines.

“For this team to show the resiliency they’ve shown all year, makes this so special,” Saban said to CBS Sports’ Jamie Erdahl after the game. “Winning the game as we did last week, playing the game today to the level that most people probably didn’t think we could — I’m really proud of this bunch. They’ve shown tremendous ability to overcome adversity all year long.”