Paul Finebaum claims Georgia is 'stuck in time' after 2024 season

It’s tough to find two teams in college football more commonly compared than Alabama and Georgia. The SEC programs are in an interesting position at the moment, with the Crimson Tide dealing the fallout of Nick Saban’s retirement, and the Bulldogs wondering if they can climb the mountain once again.

As the summer rages on, Paul Finebaum is trying to separate the two programs. He’s higher on Alabama at the moment, explaining that factors like Georgia’s quarterback situation and Kirby Smart’s coaching in last season’s Sugar Bowl loss are giving him pause.

“Alabama. Georgia feels like it’s stuck in time. That loss to Notre Dame and the Sugar Bowl was ghastly,” Finebaum stated, regarding whether he’s higher on the Bulldogs or the Crimson Tide, via First Take. “I’m not blaming it all on Gunner Stockton. In fact, I’m blaming Kirby Smart, because he made some of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen him make, and I think he’s the closest thing to Nick Saban that we have. They melted down at the end of the first half. They continued to melt down in the beginning of the third quarter.

“Gunner Stockton is a serviceable quarterback. He’s not elite. That’s not to say Ty Simpson is, but I believe Ty Simpson has a better roster around him. Kalen DeBoer has recruited at a very high level. He’s continuing that. Not that Kirby Smart has fallen off, but it feels like Georgia is stuck in time right now. I see them inching back, while Alabama thrusts forward.”

While Finebaum makes a solid case for Alabama, ESPN’s David Dennis Jr. went the other way with it. He believes Georgia will bounce back in a big way in 2025, with the Playoff on their minds.

“I’m going with Georgia,” Dennis Jr. responded. “Part of it is I think Georgia is closer to their quarterback answer than Alabama is. I think Gunner Stockton is a decent quarterback. He’s closer to Carson Beck than I think a lot of people give him credit for, in spite of what happened against Notre Dame. I like what they’ve done recruiting, some of these other guys in the transfer portal.

“I just think that the Kirby Smart magic is always there, as a guy who’s going to get the most out of this team. We feel as though Georgia had a down year, in which they won the SEC Championship and were the No. 2-seed coming in the Playoff. This is just who they are. They are perennial contenders now, and I don’t think that’s changing this year.”

Alas, it’ll all be settled on the field. Georgia will welcome Alabama to Athens on Sept. 27, and the two programs are bound to be compared to one another all season long. We’ll see who gets the better of the other in 2025.