Noted Bammer honker and SEC talking penal head, Pawwwwwl Finerbum did his part in soothing the burnt feelings of the Bammer nation. In the continual wake of the total ass frying they received at the hands of Bro. Dabo and the Clemson Tiggers, Pawwl took time to remind the mighty Tahd that they had no more rivals on the schedule and had left the rest of the SEC in the dust except for Kirby's Dawgs, of course.
Obviously, Auburn and Tennessee are Alabama’s traditional rivals.
When it comes to Auburn, the Tide has won four of the last five meetings and eight of the past 11. Add to that, the loss to Auburn in 2017 didn’t hinder the Tide’s chances of advancing to the College Football Playoff.
Tennessee, meanwhile, has lost to Nick Saban’s club for the past 12 years.
While there is plenty of back and forth from the fan bases - and arguments can be made for both to be rivals - Paul Finebaum was asked who Alabama’s rival is today?
“The two biggest games on Alabama’s schedule this year aren’t on the schedule,†said Finebaum, who joined me and Lee Shirvanian on “The Opening Kickoff†on WNSP-FM 105.5 on Tuesday. "The two biggest games are Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and Clemson in the national championship game. I never really thought about it that way, but those are the games Alabama fans want."
The traditional rivalry games, Finebaum said, just doesn’t meet the standard these days.
“In June, we’re talking about the Iron Bowl?†Finebaum said. “I don’t really hear anybody talking about that. The LSU game has been promoted as the biggest game on Alabama’s schedule since 2011. That game doesn’t measure up. We hype that game every year. We get a pretty similar result.â€
The wait for Tide fans, he said, will extend into December.
So who is Alabama's rival?
“It’s probably Georgia in the SEC because there is so much conversation about (Georgia coach Kirby) Smart and the fact that he coached so long and successfully under Nick Saban,†Finebaum explained. "And the fact that those two games have been two of the most epic Alabama football games.
“That’s as good an answer I can come up with. Alabama’s left everyone else in the dust.â€