Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Paul Finebaum Names ‘Minimum Requirement’ for Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer in Year 2

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 college football season is approaching quickly, providing teams with the chance to rebuild and advance.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to rebound after a disappointing season. Last year, they finished with a record of 9-4 in Kalen DeBoer's first year as head coach. He took over after the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban, who stepped down following the 2023 season. This 9-4 record marked the worst performance for Alabama since Saban's inaugural season in 2007.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," an Alabama fan called in, expressing her belief that it is national championship or bust for coach DeBoer. She stated that he must at least reach the championship game; otherwise, he should be let go. Finebaum disagreed with her perspective.

"I understand high expectations, but I don't think Alabama has to win the natty this year for people to embrace Kalen DeBoer," Finebaum said. "They have to get to the playoffs. That is the minimum required. It would be nice if they did something in the playoffs."

Paul Finebaum Thinks Alabama Is 'Significantly Better' This Season

While Finebaum recognizes the pressure DeBoer faces, he remains optimistic about the Crimson Tide this season, stating they are significantly better than last year.

“I feel pretty good about them,” Finebaum previously said. “I really believe that Alabama is in significantly better shape than a year ago, for a million reasons. I think Ty [Simpson] is a very capable quarterback. He’s got some elite players around him.”

Simpson has been named the starting quarterback this offseason, replacing Jalen Milroe, who the Seattle Seahawks drafted. Simpson has thrown only 50 passes in his career, totaling 381 yards.

Finebaum believes that the team will improve with the hiring of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Grubb has several years of experience working with DeBoer, including at Washington, where he helped lead the Huskies to a top 15 offense. In contrast, last year, the Crimson Tide's offense ranked outside the top 40.

Is Kalen DeBoer on the Hot Seat?

The Crimson Tide is one of the most prestigious programs in college football. The success that Saban achieved over nearly two decades has created high expectations among the fan base. As a result, some fans, like the caller, believe that for DeBoer this year, it's national championship or nothing. However, Finebaum disagrees and does not think DeBoer is in any trouble.

“I get the question all of the time, ‘Is he in trouble?'” Finebaum previously said. “The answer is no. What does he need to do? It seems like he needs to get to the playoffs.”

CBS Sports' hot seat rankings rated DeBoer at 2.33, placing him in the "all good... for now" category. This indicates that he is not in immediate danger, but if his team's performance does not begin to improve, his job security could become a concern.

Alabama's season kicks off with a crucial road game against the Florida State Seminoles at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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

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