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Paul Finebaum Believes Major Coach Is Safe Even If He Misses the College Football Playoff
© Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The 2024 college football season may be one to forget for several teams that entered the year with high expectations. These hopes were fueled by strong rosters and a history of success over previous seasons. 

One notable team in this situation is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Under Nick Saban's leadership for nearly 20 years, the Crimson Tide became a dominant force in college football. However, following his retirement after the 2023 season, the team entered a new era under head coach Kalen DeBoer.

DeBoer came to Alabama after leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game, where they lost to the Michigan Wolverines. He brought with him an impressive coaching record of 37-9 as an FBS head coach prior to 2024.

Alabama's 2024 season did not go as expected. The team finished with a record of 9-4, its worst performance since 2007 when they ended the season with a 7-6 record during Nick Saban's first year as head coach. Additionally, this was the worst full season of Kalen DeBoer's career as a head coach at the FBS level.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum has been highly critical of DeBoer. Recently, he noted that the fan base's patience is wearing thin. On his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," he expressed agreement with a caller who suggested that fans should demand DeBoer's firing if he fails to lead the team to the playoffs in 2025. However, he believes the administration is unlikely to take such action.

"You probably have every right to," Finebaum said. "I think they should make the playoff. But, I don't think the management down there is going to make that decision, though. They have bought into DeBoer all the way." 

While Finebaum believes that the administration is unlikely to let head coach Kalen DeBoer go, even if the 2025 season does not lead to a playoff berth, he has previously stated that a loss to the Florida State Seminoles in the season opener could make DeBoer's position much more precarious. Finebaum thinks that such a defeat would significantly increase the pressure on DeBoer.

Last year, the Seminoles had a disappointing season, finishing with a 2-10 record after starting the year ranked No. 10 in the preseason. This marked Florida State's worst season since 1974. Meanwhile, Alabama has never gone two consecutive seasons without qualifying for the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. This fact adds additional pressure on DeBoer as well.

The Crimson Tide will kick off their season against the Seminoles on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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