Paul Finebaum Reveals His Expectations For Alabama in Year 2 Under Kalen DeBoer originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Kalen DeBoer era for the Alabama Crimson Tide began on a challenging note in 2024.
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The Crimson Tide finished the season with a record of 9-4, marking the most losses in a single season since 2007, which was Nick Saban’s first year as head coach.
What is particularly perplexing is that Alabama lost to three teams that each had five or more losses last season: the Vanderbilt Commodores (7-6), the Oklahoma Sooners (6-7) and the Michigan Wolverines (8-5). Additionally, they lost to the Tennessee Volunteers (10-3), a rival that made it to the College Football Playoff.
Despite the struggles of last season, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum shared on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that there is a sense of optimism in Tuscaloosa as the team looks ahead to the 2025 season.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.John David Mercer-Imagn Images
“Alabama fans always think they’re going to win, but this year they seem to have reason to believe it,” Finebaum said. “While a lot of people want to write Alabama off because of last year’s shortcomings, I tend to agree with you. I’m expecting a big season.”
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Finebaum has been highly critical of DeBoer. He stated during the season that, while he believes DeBoer is an outstanding football coach, he questions whether he is the right fit for Alabama. Finebaum mentioned that coaching at Alabama is a unique experience.
He could name 20 places across the country where DeBoer would likely be very successful, just as he was at Washington. Finebaum also believes there are schools in the SEC where DeBoer could thrive, but he insists that Alabama is unlike nearly every other coaching job.
However, Finebaum now appears more optimistic about Alabama’s prospects for the 2025 season. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) supports this sentiment, ranking Alabama as the No. 3 team in the country as the season approaches. It’s worth noting that the FPI had a positive outlook on Alabama for much of last season, despite the team’s challenges.
Alabama is set to open the season with a significant game against the Florida State Seminoles at 3:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals What Concerns Him About Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
