Kalen DeBoer reflects on value of adversity, comeback vs. Oklahoma moving forward

For a while there, Alabama looked dead in the water. Fresh off a tough loss in the SEC Championship, Kalen DeBoer found his team down 17-0 to Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff first round. A loss would end the season in quite disappointing fashion and bring a whole lot of questions.

Instead, the Crimson Tide pushed through adversity over the final three quarters. The final score read 34-24, a 10-point win despite being down three scores in just about 20 minutes of game time. DeBoer believes the game ultimately helps Alabama in the long run if the right lesson is learned.

“It was miserable at times early going through it,” DeBoer said via The Triple Option. “But now that we’ve won, it’s one of those program things that we’ve done together. I talked to the guys about that yesterday. We each our experiences… just where you overcame something… Just keep punching… It wasn’t barely scratching and getting through it. We thrived and we excelled as the game went on. You could see it growing on us.”

This is not the first tough moment Alabama has gone through, only to find success. Multiple games throughout the 2025 season meet the same requirements. DeBoer named a few of them, all resulting in wins.

“We’ve had some great moments this year where we’ve had to do some of those things,” DeBoer said. “South Carolina, the end of the Auburn game, just different moments like that. Georgia — got the lead but then all of a sudden they’re right back in it.

Something was just different about Friday night, though. DeBoer wants to make sure the feeling sticks with his players moving forward. More punches are eventually going to be thrown their way, no matter how long the College Football Playoff journey lasts.

“But this one, 17-0, and coming back. Now, that’s one we’ve done together and that’s one we have to remember. Like, how we did it.”

DeBoer can count on one thing ahead of the Rose Bowl. Indiana is not going to be afraid to come out swinging, looking for a knockout punch. After all, Curt Cignetti‘s bunch is the No. 1 team in the country after an undefeated regular season and winning the Big Ten. Confidence is going to be high for the Hoosiers. If the massive punch does come from IU, Alabama has something to look back on thanks to the Oklahoma win.