Paul Finebaum drops truth bomb on Alabama-Georgia showdown, claims Kirby Smart must “prove himself” against Tide once and for all

Kalen DeBoer’s No. 17 Alabama will face off against Kirby Smart’s No. 5 Georgia at Dooley Field in Sanford Stadium, Athens, on Saturday.

The Bulldogs haven’t beaten the Crimson Tide at home in the last two decades, with their last 37-23 win in Athens coming in 2003. Since then, Alabama has only played there twice, in 2008 and 2015.

Ahead of the game, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum weighed in on which coach is under more pressure.

“It’s Kirby Smart,” Finebaum said. “Maybe after the game, Kalen DeBoer might be. But, Kirby Smart has to prove to his own fan base that he can get through Alabama. And, that is really a mental issue. I’ve already heard it from ‘Bama fans. I’ve heard it.

“They feel very good about the game. Not so much, maybe, about the matchups, but they just feel like Georgia is their game. And, why not, if you look at recent history? I think Kirby does deal with a lot of pressure, probably not as much as he would have had last week in Neyland gone the other way.”

NCAA Football: Georgia at Tennessee - Source: Imagn

Georgia comes into the game after a bye week, following its 44-41 overtime win over No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 13.

Smart has won 10 straight games after an off week, which could work in Georgia’s favor, but Finebaum still believes the pressure tilts toward the Bulldogs.

“I don’t feel as much pressure on the Alabama side right now,” Finebaum said. “I think those last two games in the off-week helped to settle everyone down.

“Everyone now can acknowledge that Florida State (which beat Alabama 31-17 in Week 1) was a much better team than anyone dreamed possible. And maybe that goes down as the outlier as opposed to the norm.”

Since 2007, Alabama has won nine of its last ten meetings with Georgia.

Kirby Smart opens up about the upcoming game against Alabama

Kirby Smart has struggled against Alabama and holds a 1-6 record versus the Crimson Tide. However, he recognizes the boost his program can get from the home crowd on Saturday.

“Being at home is an advantage,” Smart said (via The Sports Leader). “Going on the road is hard. Playing at home, it helps. The atmosphere helps.

“The crowd noise helps. Being familiar with your surroundings helps, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play football. It comes down to matchups. Certainly glad it’s at home, but we’ve still got to play well.”

The 2024 season marked Smart’s first meeting with Alabama without Nick Saban on the opposing sideline, but Georgia still fell short, losing 41-34 on Sept. 28.