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Former Auburn football QB1 eats his words, gets embarrassed by Alabama

By Andrew Hughes

TJ was embarrassed by being benched and seeing his pregame hot takes go cold during an opening-week loss to Alabama
TJ was embarrassed by being benched and seeing his pregame hot takes go cold during an opening-week loss to Alabama / Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
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Before facing Alabama in Kalen DeBoer's Week 1 debut with the Crimson Tide, former Auburn football QB1 TJ Finley was sharing some pretty tall talk. The six-foot-seven signal-caller, who almost knocked off Alabama in the 2021 Iron Bowl, poked the bear ahead of a 63-0 Tide win over Western Kentucky.

"Now is the time for me to submit myself into the top five, top 10 quarterbacks of this next year class, and I’m ready to do it," Finley said (h/t Touchdown Alabama). "We have all the pieces we need to make a run this year. Whether we go to Alabama and win or not, we’re gonna show Alabama this ain’t the regular Western Kentucky that you’re just gonna roll over and do anything like that. It’s a whole new ball club. Alabama has a whole new ball club that people have to take into consideration that they might not be who they who they think they might be."

If Alabama thought they could nearly cover the spread two times over, they are exactly who they thought they might be. Finley, on the other hand, didn't look anything like a top five quarterback in the potential 2025 NFL draft.

If anything, his 92-passing yard/two-interception showing, one that got him benched for Caden Veltkamp in garbage time, proved he doesn't belong in any NFL conversations just yet; even after a breakout season at 3,000+-yard season in 2023 with Texas State.

Auburn football will have stiff rivalry week matchup with Alabama if Week 1 was any indication

Finley and his benching aside, Alabama looked downright scary under DeBoer and his first-year coaching staff in their unveiling.

Justice Haynes and Jam Miller were physical, elusive, and able to find the gaps their Preseason All-SEC First Team (Tyler Booker), Second Team (Parker Brailsford, Kadyn Proctor), and Third Team (Jaeden Roberts) studs. Jalen Milroe was brilliant on the ground (79 yards, 2 TDs) and through the air (7/9, 200 yards, 3 TDs). The defense was up to the "Bama Standard" Nick Saban set from 2007-2023.

Alabama will be a challenge for every team, but the Iron Bowl being in Tuscaloosa makes the 2024 Iron Bowl an even bigger challenge.

DeBoer looks for real right now, but it's still early. It's hard to shake that first impression, though.

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