Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Paul Finebaum cautions Alabama fans about UGA matchup: 'Nick Saban owned Georgia'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz09/27/25NickSchultz_7
Paul Finebaum on Colorado Deion Sanders
Maria Lysaker | Imagn Images

Saturday night, Alabama will take on Georgia for the second time under Kalen DeBoer. This time, though, it’s on the road – and Paul Finebaum had a warning for Crimson Tide fans.

Since 2007, when Nick Saban took over as Alabama head coach, the Crimson Tide have a 9-2 record against UGA. One of those wins was in Saban’s first season and the other was in the 2021-22 national championship, which marked Kirby Smart’s lone win against his former boss.

Alabama again got a win against Georgia last year at Bryant-Denny Stadium, although the Tide had to fight off a furious comeback to do so. But the aftermath of that game is why Finebaum cautioned Alabama fans about Saturday night’s rematch. Remember, the Crimson Tide fell to Vanderbilt the following week.

“It’s been very bad luck for the Dawgs [against Alabama],” Finebaum said Friday. “The only time Georgia has beaten Alabama during this long run since ’07 was for the national championship after Alabama had beaten them a couple weeks earlier for the SEC. I’d caution anyone to get carried away. Alabama fans have been calling in saying, ‘We own Georgia.’ Nick Saban owned Georgia.

“DeBoer won last year, but that was probably the worst thing to ever happen to Alabama. Remember, they jumped out to a 28-0 lead, Georgia took the lead and Ryan Williams made that great catch. … The very next week, Alabama lost to Vanderbilt in one of the worst losses in school history and they could never get it together again. So I would argue they should’ve lost to Georgia last year, and they would’ve had a better season.”

Williams’ catch was the biggest play in last year’s showdown, which saw Alabama come away with the 41-34 win in a classic. DeBoer’s group later moved up to No. 1 in the rankings heading into Vanderbilt, but Diego Pavia and the Commodores pulled off the stunner, upsetting the Crimson Tide 40-35. From there, Alabama lost three more games against Tennessee, Oklahoma and the bowl game against Michigan.

The Crimson Tide also just missed out on the College Football Playoff last year with three losses. A loss to UGA on Saturday would also drop Alabama to 2-2 on the season, and Paul Finebaum said earlier this week that could further complicate the quest for the CFP.

“Alabama really has to win this game,” Finebaum said on ESPN. “Remember, they did lose to Florida State. Alabama fans are reveling in the Wisconsin and ULM wins, but those don’t really count if you let this game get away. That would give them two losses with so many big games remaining against LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma and at Auburn. A loss here would make their path to the Playoff very narrow.”