Alabama Football Preview 2025: Kalen DeBoer Did Just Fine - Now Go Win It All

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Has anyone been able to pull this off? Who succeeded after filling in for a legend?

Ryan Day did it. He went 13-1 in 2019 after Urban Meyer left. He hasn’t lost more than two games in any of his six seasons, he just won the national title, and if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan again …

Jimbo Fisher did it. Mock and ridicule all you want now, but the man took over Bobby Bowden’s 7-6 program and went 12-2 in 2012 before winning the national title a year later. (By the way, the Noles have had five losing seasons in the seven years since Jimbo left, but I digress.)

Lincoln Riley did a whale of a job with Oklahoma after taking over for Bob Stoops, Marcus Freeman is more than fine in place of Brian Kelly, and …

DeBoer’s team should’ve been in the College Football Playoff last year.

I know, I KNOW. I’m with you.

After the way it played against Oklahoma in a lifeless 24-3 loss, Alabama shouldn’t have been allowed to watch the CFP, much less be in it, but if the committee had done this right - and not been afraid of its own shadow after the Florida State kerfuffle of 2023, when it unquestionably got the top four correct - then yeah, it should’ve been in over SMU, and the transition season under DeBoer would’ve been hailed as a success.

(I’ll do this as quickly as possible. It was between SMU, Ole Miss, Miami, South Carolina, and Alabama for the 12th spot. Miami had a soft schedule, lost two of its last three, and … no. Ole Miss beat South Carolina, South Carolina beat a Clemson team that had to be in by winning the ACC Championship over SMU, Alabama beat South Carolina, and both Bama and Ole Miss - who didn’t play each other - technically had the best wins by anyone by beating SEC Champion Georgia. Bama demolished Missouri and LSU, and LSU beat Ole Miss. But instead of doing this right and suffering the PR nightmare, putting 11-2 SMU one spot ahead of the Tide was the safe ranking.)

But it’s not that DeBoer missed out on the CFP, and it’s not that he went 9-4. It’s that he lost three games he shouldn’t have, and that’s where the whole fill-in-the-shoes thing is impossible.

Once things got rolling, Saban never lost a game against a team as whatever as 2024 Vanderbilt. His teams never turtled like last year’s did against a meh Oklahoma, or stall against a Michigan squad that couldn’t complete a forward pass. However …

The greatest college football coach of all-time lost to ULM in his first season at the Alabama gig. DeBoer beat Wisconsin, USF, and Western Kentucky by a combined score of 147 to 26.

There was rebuilding to do, but Saban went 7-6 in his first year. Kalen DeBoer went 9-4.

Saban lost to Auburn in 2007. DeBoer beat Auburn. Saban lost to Georgia. DeBoer beat Georgia. Saban lost to LSU. DeBoer won 42-13 over the Tigers.

There’s stuff to fix, and there are no excuses at Alabama, especially with the fully stocked cupboard that Saban left. But considering this might have been the toughest coaching transition ever, Ol’ Kalen did alright.

(Now go win the national championship, son.)  

Alabama Offense Breakdown
Alabama Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season