Karen DeBoer’s roller coaster first season at the University of Alabama is effectively over.
After an astonishing 24-3 victory, With its third loss of the season to unranked Oklahoma, Alabama (8-3) will almost certainly be eliminated from the College Football Playoff race unless there is some upset over the next two weeks. Journey to the SEC Championship It’s off the table. Next week’s Iron Bowl won’t have the usual national excitement, but the Tigers are coming off a big upset against their own No. 15 Texas A&M.
The highs this season were very high, including the win against Georgia. But the lows were historic lows. DeBoer ranked Alabama as the No. 1 team in the nation, but they lost to unranked Vanderbilt the following week, a shocking upset that never occurred under Nick Saban. In some ways, Saturday night’s loss to Norman was even worse.
The 24-3 loss to the Sooners was Alabama’s biggest loss since 2018 and the largest loss to an unrated team since Mike DuBose defeated Virginia Tech 38-7 in the 1998 Music City Bowl. This was the largest loss since the loss. This is the first time since 2010 that Alabama has lost three games in the regular season. Considering the stakes, it was an unforgivably poor performance in a crucial area. Most frustratingly, Oklahoma dusted off the plan that Vanderbilt had executed so well against the Crimson Tide, and DeBoer and his staff still had no answers for it.
Sooners QB Jackson Arnold, who was benched earlier this season, ran for 131 yards throughout Alabama. Conversely, Oklahoma was forced to take advantage of running back Jalen Milroe (7 yards on 15 carries) and win the aerial duel. Milroe regressed again, throwing three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and looked completely helpless for much of the game against Brent Venables’ defense. The veteran offensive line was also in disarray.
The Tide’s preseason dreams are all but gone, but it’s a good time to look ahead. The bad news for DeBoer is that he has more players than Saban has left, especially when you add players like Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs and Texas receiver Isaiah Bonds who ultimately chose to leave. That means he may never have a talented roster. The 247Sports Team Talent Composite named Alabama the most talented roster in all of college football as a result of Saban’s string of top recruiting classes. While the roster doesn’t have as much obvious NFL talent as Saban’s top-level team, it’s going to be difficult for any coach to do that going forward in a college football world where talent is becoming more distributed and more parity. Dew.
1) Find the right QB
Jalen Milroe has always been an imperfect fit for DeBoer, his historically preferred quarterback position. Actually, Saban was the same way. But problems elsewhere, on the offensive line, meant Milroe had to trade his big-play ability and appealing athleticism for limited passing ability and a tendency to make big mistakes at inopportune times. Ta. With Milroe expected to leave for the NFL, DeBoer will need to get the right position next year. Former five-star backup QB Ty Simpson is presumed to be a candidate to replace Milroe, but it’s a crowded room that also includes Washington transfer Austin Mack and incoming five-star Kieron Russell, who is No. 3 overall rookie. . The Tide has a great foundation in star freshman WR Ryan Williams, and DeBoer will need to utilize the right personnel to get the ball.
More: Alabama needs more weapons other than Ryan Williams in 2025
2) Evaluate your staff and determine what needs to change
Growing pains are expected in his first year replacing the greatest coach in college football history, and he must be careful not to overreact to a disappointing season. But it will be important for DeBoer to thoroughly analyze everything, especially his staff, to make sure everything is working as it should. Vanderbilt and Oklahoma provided strategies on how to beat Kane Womack’s 4-2-5 defense. Could that be fixed by having the right personnel in place to play that defensive style? Or does Womack need to adjust his style? Similarly, the offensive line also failed to live up to expectations this season, despite returning a veteran group. Is it talent or coaching/development? Something didn’t click with that group Saturday night when Oklahoma had a strong performance.
Staff overhauls after just one season are rarely successful and don’t seem to be what this show needs, but Coach DeBoer will evaluate this group without bias or favoritism and make difficult decisions as needed. You need to be prepared to make a decision.
3) Put game-breaking players on defense.
Saban left DeBoer with a great gift in LT Overton, a Tide defensive player who Alabama plucked from the transfer portal from Texas A&M and is most likely to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Still, Alabama lacks the dominant game-breaker up front it seemed to have in abundance over the years under Saban. Every program wants a player like that, so shopping through the portal is going to be very expensive – think close to seven figures, if not more, for a starter who will make an immediate impact. – But it’s probably a must for a defense that has to replace Overton, Tim Smith and Jaa – Marien Latham up front. This doesn’t even take into account the loss of veteran defensive leaders Malachi Moore and Deonte Lawson.
