Longtime college football voice Paul Finebaum has made his predictions for Alabama football’s 2026-27 home series against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Finebaum doesn’t believe this will happen.
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The ESPN personality and SEC Network host made the prediction Friday on WBNS-FM 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, Ohio.
Finebaum said:
“Based on what I’ve heard from Alabama AD, I sincerely doubt the Alabama game is going to happen. Regardless, he’s in a shaky situation there and the coach is in trouble. Georgia might do it because they’re more coordinated and consistent, but I really don’t think we’re going to get that far and watch these games. I know what (Ohio State AD) Ross Bjork said, I know what (Texas AD Chris) DelConte said and other ADs said it, but the reality is, for a lot of programs, the ninth SEC The cost of the game is going to be very high.”
The SEC will play nine conference games starting in 2026, bringing it in line with the Big Ten and Big 12. The ACC also added a ninth conference game to its 12 teams this season, with all 17 teams set to play nine games in 2027.
When the Alabama-Ohio State series was first announced in June 2020, the Crimson Tide was scheduled to visit Columbus in September 2027 and the Buckeyes were scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa in September 2028.
A lot has happened since then, and no one will be surprised by Finebaum’s comments. In December, former Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram questioned why Alabama should preserve its series with Ohio State.
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Ingram’s comments came after Texas missed the 12-team College Football Playoff in part because the state scheduled the Buckeyes instead of weaker opponents in the Six Nations or FCS rankings.
Alabama previously canceled two opponents from its 2026 schedule. The Crimson Tide was scheduled to face West Virginia in Morgantown in 2026 and the Mountaineers were set to travel to Tuscaloosa in 2027. Alabama and West Virginia both agreed to cancel the series in August, shortly after the SEC announced it would go to nine conference games.
In December, Alabama and South Florida mutually agreed to postpone the game originally scheduled for 2026 to 2032.
Alabama will host East Carolina in its season opener on Sept. 5 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide’s big unofficial game will be Sept. 19, when Florida State travels to Tuscaloosa in the final stretch of its home-and-home series.
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2026 Alabama Football Schedule
Here’s a game-by-game review of coach Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide’s 2026 schedule.
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Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina
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Sept. 19: vs. Florida State
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Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina
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Oct. 3: Mississippi State University
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Finebaum says Alabama football series vs. Ohio State unlikely