Paul Finebaum eliminates Ty Simpson from Heisman race after performance vs. Oklahoma

Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back on Alabama, declaring that Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is “no longer a Heisman candidate” after the Crimson Tide’s crushing 23–21 loss to Oklahoma in Tuscaloosa.

On the latest episode of The Matt Barrie Show, Finebaum laid out how Simpson’s shaky performance and Alabama’s late-game mistakes slammed the door on his once-promising Heisman campaign.

“It’s pretty stunning for a couple of reasons,” Finebaum said. “Three weeks ago, when Ole Miss beat Oklahoma in Norman, all of a sudden Brent Venables’ job seemed to be on the line, and now he’s on the door of getting to the Playoff. So, it’s really been an extraordinary turnaround, when you think about them winning at Tennessee and Alabama. But Alabama is the story here.”

Finebaum pointed out how uneasy the Alabama fanbase felt entering Saturday, and said those concerns proved valid: “A week ago, we got the vibe that Alabama fans were worried and nervous, and they had every reason to be,” he continued. “It just seemed like that memo did not quite reach the team.

“Just some really terrible play by former Heisman Trophy candidate Ty Simpson, and some inexplicable calls down the stretch. The stats all favor Alabama — other than tips, a missed field goal, a late fumble, all adding up to an elite defense prevailing.”

In the loss, Simpson went 28-of-42 for 1 touchdown and 1 interception and was sacked four times, failing to find rhythm when Alabama needed it most. The Sooners’ defense, even without their best defensive lineman in R. Mason Thomas, rattled Simpson from start to finish.

Regardless, Finebaum said the loss wasn’t just about Saturday. It also shattered the illusion of Alabama’s early-season struggles being behind them: “It’s gone,” he said bluntly when asked about Alabama’s swagger.

“How many times have everyone — me leading the pack — just thrown that Florida State game out? Well, you can’t throw it out anymore, because we saw Ty Simpson just looked spooked.”

He gave credit to Oklahoma’s scheme but noted that the performance still raises serious red flags: “A lot of quarterbacks have been spooked by Brent Venables’ defense,” Finebaum admitted. “On top of all that, what was interesting is the defensive line was missing their best player. They were great.

“Alabama finally got a couple good runs, which they haven’t been able to get all year, and it just didn’t really matter, because Ty Simpson — he could not make anything happen.”

As for Alabama’s broader picture, Finebaum said the Tide made their playoff and SEC Championship Game path more complicated: “They still have a path — and I won’t spare the audience the 18,000 tiebreakers in the SEC — but they don’t have a lot of air to breathe right now,” he said. “They were at 97%. Now they’ve lost about half of that going into the playoffs.”

On the other hand, this was the breakthrough Oklahoma needed. Entering the game at risk of falling to three losses, and almost certainly exiting the playoff race, the Sooners instead walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium and left with a seismic win.

Brent Venables delivered the signature victory his tenure had been missing. And in the process, Finebaum believes we’ve witnessed the end of Ty Simpson’s Heisman dreams.