ESPN’s Louis Riddick reveals what’s at stake for Kalen DeBoer, Alabama in College Football Playoff

Alabama is preparing for a high-stakes rematch with Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Heading into the showdown, the conversation surrounding Kalen DeBoer has grown louder, and more complicated than ever.

On Wednesday’s episode of ESPN’s Get Up, analysts Jordan Rodgers, Mike Greenberg and Louis Riddick each weighed in on what the Playoff moment means for DeBoer in his second season leading the Crimson Tide. They pushed back on the idea that Alabama’s future hinges solely on this season’s playoff result.

“I don’t think anything’s at stake,” Rodgers said. “I think this is a scenario where Alabama fans are still living in Nick Saban fantasy land. What’s at stake is a second straight year with four losses, an early exit in the playoff, 0-3 versus Oklahoma in the last two years. 

“… If Alabama fans want to sour on the fact that you have back-to-back four-loss seasons, you get an early exit in the playoffs, you need to really get a reality check.”

Rodgers cautioned that unrealistic expectations could backfire. He even floated the possibility of DeBoer eventually leaving if the scrutiny becomes overwhelming.

“If this fan base starts to sour, DeBoer may go, ‘Maybe it’s a little bit easier in the Big Ten,’” Rodgers added, alluding to interest from Michigan. “The schedule is going to be easier. The path to the playoffs is easier. The path to a national championship may be easier. That’s not what Alabama fans want to do.”

‘You never want to be the guy who follows the guy’

Moreover, Greenberg echoed that sentiment. He emphasized the near-impossible task DeBoer inherited by following Nick Saban.

“You never want to be the guy who follows the guy,” Greenberg responded. “Nick Saban set an absolutely impossible standard to follow. The second is, Saban got out because the sport was changing right in front of his eyes. … You’re never going to have that again, no matter where you are.”

In response, Riddick added important context about the modern college football landscape and why patience matters. Especially given Alabama’s circumstances this season.

“There are players living in the same housing developments that head coaches are living in,” Riddick explained. “You’re next-door neighbors with your star wide receiver and your star quarterback. It’s a totally different landscape that you have to navigate now.”

‘This is a guy who catches strays all over the place’

Additionally, Riddick also noted that Alabama’s roster health and recent inconsistency have shaped outside perception more than DeBoer’s résumé deserves: “Kalen DeBoer’s roster has not really been healthy,” Riddick elaborated. 

“They’re going to be much healthier for this football game than they were in the SEC championship game. … This is a guy who catches strays all over the place, and there are constantly people who are trying to poke holes in a résumé that’s pretty damn good.”

All told, the spotlight now turns to Norman, where No. 9 Alabama will face No. 8 Oklahoma for a spot in the CFP quarterfinals. The Sooners beat the Tide 24-3 last season and handed Alabama another loss earlier this year in Tuscaloosa. 

With a matchup against No. 1 Indiana awaiting the winner, the stakes are undeniable. Even if, as Riddick suggested, DeBoer’s long-term standing should be viewed with far more perspective than panic.