Paul Finebaum Names Disappointing SEC Team Who Will Have a 'Complete Bounce-Back' Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 10:00 PM ET

The 2024 college football season did not meet the expectations of several major teams vying for a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

One such team was the Alabama Crimson Tide, which has been arguably the top program in the sport since 2010. However, the 2024 season did not go as planned for Alabama, finishing with a record of 9-4, their worst season since 2007, the year Nick Saban took over as head coach.

Saban retired after the 2023 season, making 2024 the first year under Kalen DeBoer, who had recently led the Washington Huskies to the national championship game. Despite these challenges, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum expressed optimism on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that this season will be different.

"I am unusually optimistic," Finebaum said. "I feel like this is going to be a complete bounce-back from last year. I think they'll win 10 games. I think they'll go to the playoffs and, depending on how they're matched up, will make a lot of noise."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength designed to be the best predictor of a team's future performance for the remainder of the season. As the new season approaches, the FPI ranks Alabama as the No. 3 team in the country. It's noteworthy that the FPI maintained a positive outlook on Alabama throughout much of last season, despite the team facing some challenges.

Alabama benefits from returning a significant amount of production, ranking No. 29 in the nation with a retention rate of 64%. Additionally, they are ranked No. 2 by ESPN's SP+ metric, which evaluates teams based on returning production, recent recruiting, and historical performance, as the season begins.

The Crimson Tide is set to kick off the season with a key matchup against the Florida State Seminoles at 3:30 p.m. EST on Aug. 30 at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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