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Paul Finebaum expresses concern for Alabama in Year 2 under Kalen DeBoer

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery12/12/24
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Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer quickly learned that life in the SEC is never easy. And, Paul Finebaum believes it could get worse.

The Crimson Tide barely missed the 12-team College Football Playoff in his first season at the helm, after Alabama lost three games, including a 21-point loss (24-3) to the 6-6 Oklahoma Sooners. Wednesday evening on the SEC Network’s 2025 schedule reveal show, Alabama fans got a look at the upcoming slate in the 2025 campaign.

Finebaum thinks things won’t get any easier for the Tide in DeBoer’s second year in Tuscaloosa.

“I think it’s very tricky. I think most people are going to assume FSU will be an easy win. There’s no way you can’t assume that. But that’s it. The rest of the games may not look gigantic, if you’re watching from afar. But if you remember Alabama this year, the only time they played well in the conference on the road was LSU,” Finebaum explained.

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“The other games, I mean, they were terrible – the Oklahoma game, obviously, the Vanderbilt game. Tennessee, they lost. So, I really worry about this second season for Kalen DeBoer. There’s going to be a lot of pressure, the quarterback situation is going to be a little bit up in the air. Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn – they could lose all four,” Finebaum continued.

The SEC Network commentator noted just how much pressure and expectations the Alabama head coaching job comes with.

“That job comes with pressure on Day 1. He already has a lot of pressure. No matter what you say, you look at the season from a distance, ‘9-3, not bad. That’s about what we expected.’ But Alabama fans expected to get into the playoffs, and when that didn’t happen Sunday, it felt flat. He has to improve next year,” Finebaum finished.

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Alabama’s 2025 schedule features a road game against the Georgia Bulldogs (Sept. 27). While the Tide squeaked past them this year, the Bulldogs are always among the best teams in the country. They’ll also have tough tests against Tennessee and South Carolina (which barely missed the CFP, too).