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Alabama finished with its worst regular-season record since 2007 in 2024. In case you forgot, 2007 was Nick Saban‘s first year at the helm of the program.
So new coach Kalen DeBoer does have some leeway, though he inherited a program in a far better spot than the Alabama Saban took over.
But in 2025, there’s no room for excuses. The Crimson Tide must play better or DeBoer will find himself firmly on the hot seat.
ESPN’s college football experts put together a list of teams with the most to prove in 2025. While Penn State got multiple votes and others like Florida State and USC were mentioned, Chris Low picked the Crimson Tide as his team.
Here’s what he had to say about Alabama in 2025:
Chris Low: When is there not something to prove at Alabama? Nick Saban won six national championships in Tuscaloosa, and there was always an embedded responsibility to continue feeding that monster the next season. Now, as Kalen DeBoer enters his second season at Alabama, the last thing anybody in and around that Crimson Tide program wants is to go a second straight season without making the College Football Playoff. DeBoer and his staff have recruited well, and he was able to bring back Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator after Grubb spent last season in the NFL. DeBoer will have more of his fingerprints on the 2025 team, and there should be a better overall understanding among the players of how he rolls. Either way, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize how important this next season is for the program.
Alabama starts the season with a game against Florida State in Tallahassee. The Tide also host Wisconsin and visit Georgia before September is over. We’ll learn a lot about Kalen DeBoer and company in that first month of the 2025 campaign.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
