Paul Finebaum Says One College Football Fan Base Is ‘Panicking’ After Week 1 Loss

Week 1 is officially complete, and fans of one college football team are in full panic mode, according to ESPN's Paul Finebaum.

The fans of the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide faced disappointment in Week 1, as the team struggled despite being a 13.5-point favorite against the Florida State Seminoles. Alabama lost the game 31-17, marking a challenging start to Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst noted that while the fan base is anxious, they need to remain patient.

"Everybody is panicking right now," Finebaum said. "That's not an understatement. The question is, you have to let it play through."

Kalen DeBoer's Buyout Could Cause Problems

One reason Finebaum believes fans need to be patient is that, regardless of personal opinions on DeBoer, it will be difficult to fire him due to his substantial buyout.

According to 247Sports, his buyout is set at $70 million. DeBoer stands to earn additional compensation for reaching the SEC Championship Game, winning the conference, or qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

In his first year, none of these conditions was met. If DeBoer is terminated without cause, he will receive 90% of the remaining contract value in monthly installments until the end of his contract term.

This buyout is the third-largest in the country, following the buyouts of Lincoln Riley from the USC Trojans and Kirby Smart from the Georgia Bulldogs. While $70 million is a substantial amount, it is not the largest buyout in college football history. The Texas A&M Aggies terminated Jimbo Fisher's contract during the 2023 season, resulting in a $77.5 million buyout.

Kalen DeBoer's Struggles Against Unranked Teams Continue

DeBoer has only been at Alabama for 14 games, but he has already lost four times to unranked opponents. If he wants to avoid being on the hot seat, he needs to start by winning those games. For perspective, Nick Saban lost only four games to unranked teams throughout his entire 17-year tenure at Alabama.

That includes a loss to Florida State on Saturday, where the team looked uninterested defensively and got pushed around. Alabama was gashed for 230 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and four touchdowns.

The most concerning issue seemed to be the lack of effort. ESPN's Dan Orlovsky tweeted that he observed over 20 instances where players weren't putting in much effort.

What’s Next for Alabama?

Whether Alabama can regroup won’t be answered against UL-Monroe. The real test comes later in September when the Crimson Tide faces a brutal SEC stretch that includes the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers. If DeBoer can’t right the ship quickly, Finebaum’s talk of a “panicking” fan base may soon shift into a full-blown hot seat conversation, if it hasn't already.