Paul Finebaum: Diego Pavia set himself up for failure, talked way too much before Alabama game

Diego Pavia talked the talk and nearly walked the walk, but it was not meant to be Saturday for the Vanderbilt QB. Looking for a second straight win over Alabama, Pavia and the Commodores fell short in Tuscaloosa.

Heck, Pavia even practiced the victory formation during pregame warmups. Acts like that set him up for failure in a big spot, according to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Vanderbilt is still No. 20 in the latest AP Poll and 5-1 overall, but Pavia and crew struggled against the Crimson Tide late. Finebaum said it was bound to happen after all of the pregame hype.

“Everyone wants to tell you their favorite Diego Pavia story and maybe I’m too old school, because I really like him, but I think I think he talked way too much,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “He’s a really good player, and he likes to play with a chip on his shoulder, but he set himself up for failure in this game, running his mouth. And it’s one thing to talk trash. It’s another thing to be confident or cocky or even arrogant. I mean, he was just downright disrespectful, and he paid for it yesterday.”

Pavia actually had former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel on the Vanderbilt sideline as a guest. Manziel conjured up some magic against Alabama over a decade ago, but Pavia couldn’t recreate it.

“Well it’s a good connection,” Finebaum said when asked about Manziel being on the same sideline, supporting Pavia. “The only difference is in 2012 in that very same stadium that Manziel was hanging out on Saturday, Johnny Johnny Manziel delivered. Diego Pavia did not.”

Pavia was 21-of-36 passing for 198 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against Alabama. He also added 58 yards on the ground.

Things don’t get any easier for Pavia and Vanderbilt now that they dropped their first game of the season. They were longshots for the SEC and College Football Playoff. But a 5-1 record in the first half of the year could mean they have a chance at a special season.

Pavia, trash talk or not, will have to step up against ranked SEC foes LSU at home on October 18th and Missouri the following week, and then a road date with Texas over the course of the four weeks. Not to mention Vanderbilt travels to Tennessee to end the year.