Josh Pate predicts Alabama's fan reaction if Crimson Tide fall to Oklahoma

Normally, a fourth loss in a season would be a last straw for fans at Alabama. However, considering all things going on right now around Kalen DeBoer, Josh Pate isn’t yet sure what the reaction will be in Tuscaloosa if the Crimson Tide lose on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Pate discussed that dynamic during his appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Thursday morning. He wondered if some of the fan base, frustrated as they may be with a loss to Oklahoma on Friday night, might temper their reaction as a result of what may still be going on behind the scenes with DeBoer and the ongoing coaching search at Michigan.

“If Alabama loses this game, there will be some people who talk about his job security, they’ll talk about the prospects of 2026 and beyond at Alabama…It would be this really weird dynamic, and we were talking about this this morning before the show,” Pate said. “Like, normally when you lose, especially if it’s Alabama, you’re irate, you’re upset. Alabama fans, though? They’re aware that their coach is in demand. So, might you want to temper your anger outwardly that you would normally just express all over talk radio, all over message boards, because you know, hey, the entire working theory around Alabama Football right now is could it be a little too uncomfortable for him?

“I don’t think they would be that way. I think, if there wasn’t the Michigan thing out there right now? The Penn State thing, he swatted away pretty quickly. If there wasn’t the Michigan thing out there right now, you would have the normal range of emotions. I would even go as far as to say you’re right. If the Michigan thing wasn’t out there, if you knew your guy wasn’t in demand elsewhere, you’d just be free to let the anger flow. But, when you know that there’s someone else knocking on the door, I don’t know if you’re having an argument in your household, even, and you know that your significant other is really in demand elsewhere? It just does something to what you’re willing to let come out of your mouth.”

As simple as DeBoer’s answers have been on his future, this seemingly remains complicated, with the job remaining open at this point in Ann Arbor. Despite what he stated earlier in the week, DeBoer’s future is still lingering over Alabama as it goes into the CFP. At that point, DeBoer, who’d fall to 19-8 (.704) through two seasons at ‘Bama with a loss, may not be the most popular person in Tuscaloosa, yet that may still need to be more measured considering the chances, as small as they could be, he could decide to leave them at that point for the Wolverines.

That’s still very big picture, as Alabama still has a game to play in hopes of advancing in the playoff. A win would mean a quarterfinal matchup in the Rose Bowl come New Year’s Day. However, it’s worth wondering what the reaction will be out of T-Town and what effect it could have on things if the Crimson Tide fall, according to Pate.