Alabama, Kalen DeBoer Receive Brutal College Football Pla...

By Evan Massey

Contributing Sports Writer

ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer have compiled an 8-2 record throughout the course of the 2025 college football season thus far. Right now, they hold the No. 10 overall ranking in the nation.

With the College Football Playoff right around the corner, Alabama appears to be a potential championship contender.

After a season-opening loss to the Florida State Seminoles, DeBoer and company have turned things up a notch. However, they were unable to win last week, falling to the Oklahoma Sooners by a final score of 23-21.

Read more: Dan Lanning, Oregon Receive Dire Warning Before USC Matchup

Looking ahead to the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide have received a brutal outlook from a notable analyst.

...

During an appearance on Wednesday, Joel Klatt made it clear that he does not believe Alabama has what it takes to win a national championship this season. He thinks the Crimson Tide are a contender to make the playoff, but not win it all.

“I still like Alabama. Listen, they did not play well and still had 400 yards of offense and still could have won that game against Oklahoma, who’s a terrific team," Klatt said. "So, ‘Bama is still right there. … If you are asking me if they are a contender for the playoff? Yes. Are they a contender for the national championship? No.”

Klatt thinks that Alabama is too one dimensional on the offensive side of the football. So far this season, the Crimson Tide have struggled to run the football at a high level and have relied heavily on quarterback Ty Simpson to make plays week in and week out.

While Alabama lost last week to Oklahoma, the team has a chance to bounce back strong in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Crimson Tide will face off against Eastern Illinois this week and will close out the season with a tough rivalry matchup on the road against the Auburn Tigers.

Read more: Wild CFP Scenario Unveiled for Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns

Assuming they win both of those games, Alabama should find itself in the College Football Playoff. From there, the Crimson Tide will look to prove their doubters, like Klatt, wrong and make a national championship run.

It will be interesting to see what the rest of the season has in store for Alabama.

For more on the Alabama Crimson Tide and college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.

Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines