In their first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer, who took Nick Saban’s place as maybe the best head coach in college football history, some people thought the Alabama Crimson Tide would experience some growing pains.
The Tide raced to a 4-0 record in Tuscaloosa, including a memorable victory over No. 10 Georgia on September 28. However, after losing 40-35 to unranked Vanderbilt the following week, things took a turn for the worse. Alabama’s defeat by unranked Oklahoma 24-3 on Saturday, in which the Tide managed just 234 total yards and three turnovers, may have been the final straw. For ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, that loss was sufficient to effectively sabotage Alabama this season, and
It appears that DeBoer may also be the target of the divisive college football analyst.The last time Alabama suffered a three-game loss was in 2010. “That was following their season of national championship,” Finebaum stated on Sunday’s “The Matt Barrie Show.” “I’ll get right to the point. It was just unacceptable. You may point the finger at anyone you want, but it would be wise to start at the top because that team didn’t appear to be ready. They appeared unfocused. It appeared as though they had no idea what they were getting into.Every football fan knew that Brent Venables had a top-tier defence, so I’m not sure how that could be the case. They simply lack offensive ability due to all of the wide receivers beingat quarterback, wounded and in disarray. And I simply don’t get it.” During that 2010 season, which ended with a 49-7 victory over No. 9 Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl, Alabama finished 10-3, the year after capturing a national championship. The following season, Saban bounced back and guided the Tide to another national championship and a 12-1 record. If DeBoer wants to have the same level of success the following season, he has his job cut out for him.