A funny thing happened after Alabama’s loss to Georgia: suddenly, Kalen DeBoer was the one getting the warm-and-fuzzy treatment.
For once, after what the source describes as a classic DeBoerean flop, the conversation turned into praise for the Alabama coach because he showed some fire on the sideline. That’s a nice storyline and all, but it doesn’t change the bigger picture. Alabama lost on a penalty, DeBoer barked at a player, and somehow that was enough to spark talk of coach-of-the-year buzz and even another $2 million bump in pay.
That’s a little rich.
DeBoer is a good coach, but the issue here goes well beyond one emotional moment. Chewing out a player after a personal foul penalty is not the same thing as building a team ready for a deep playoff run. And based on what happened in the second half against Georgia, it’s fair to wonder whether this Alabama team is actually built for a national title push at all - or even for a road win at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
The warning signs are obvious. Quarterback Keelon Russell gives Alabama a contender’s ceiling, but the team still looks soft and sloppy too often.
Great teams close. Great teams finish.
Alabama didn’t do either against Georgia, and the fourth quarter turned into a collapse instead of a statement.
Kirby Smart’s words before Georgia beat Alabama for the first time at Bryant-Denny made the point bluntly: “We’re gonna f-ing kick these guys’ ass. This is the same f-ing team we played about eight months ago. All they want to talk about is being physical.”
That was hard-edged, but the result backed it up.
Alabama is listed as an 8.5-point favorite against Tennessee, but that number looks generous after what we just saw. This has trap-game written all over it for DeBoer’s team, especially when you consider the recent pattern. The source points to Vanderbilt in 2024 and Oklahoma in 2025 as reminders that this is a program capable of slipping when it should be standing firm.
And there’s another angle that matters here: Alabama hasn’t beaten Tennessee in Knoxville since Nick Saban’s final national championship season. That was six years ago, and none of the current Tide players has won there.
That matters because this game is about more than emotions and sideline body language. Alabama’s second-half defense against Georgia was a real football problem, not a officiating conspiracy. The refs may have missed a few calls, but they weren’t the ones grinding out yards for Georgia.
The Bulldogs did that themselves, and they did it through backup backs Dwight Phillips, Jr., and Bo Walker. Phillips ran for 79 yards in the second half, and Walker ripped off a 37-yard gain that landed like a hammer blow.
That’s the kind of damage Tennessee can try to replicate through Desean Bishop, who ranks third in league rushing with 540 yards and seven touchdowns. Florida’s Jaden Baugh sits ahead of him with 613 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Missouri’s Jamal Roberts has 606 yards and six touchdowns. Bishop has already shown what he can do, going for 220 yards against Auburn three weeks ago and 138 against Arkansas.
Alabama, meanwhile, doesn’t have anyone in the Top 10 in rushing yards. That’s not a small detail when you’re heading into a game where stopping the run could decide everything.
It gets even more concerning if Terrance Green isn’t healthy. The Oregon transfer defensive tackle was injured against Georgia, was out by halftime, and all of Georgia’s major runs through the middle came while he was on the sideline. If he can’t go or can’t be himself, Alabama’s defense could be staring at another rough afternoon.
So yes, DeBoer showed emotion. Fine.
But the flowers should stop there. Alabama’s real issue is what happened when the game tightened, the run defense buckled, and the fourth quarter arrived.
That’s when the Tide got exposed.
In Other News...
SEC Response To Alabamas Georgia Frustration Wont Ease Many Fans
The aftermath of Alabamas loss to Georgia has kept the focus on more than just the scoreboard, with plenty of frustration aimed at several officiating decisions that drew heavy attention in the moment and even more after the game. Among the disputed calls was a no-call on a potential pass interference, one of several sequences that left Alabama fans searching for answers after a game already loaded with stakes and tension.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the broader issue by saying the conference does not comment on judgment calls made by officials, while also noting how difficult the job is and how the league reviews mistakes tied to rule application. For Alabama supporters, though, that explanation is unlikely to calm much of the anger, especially when the biggest flashpoints from the game are still the ones everyone keeps replaying. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia's Alabama Win Just Got More Complicated For Kirby Smart
Georgias win over Alabama in Week 6 gave Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs a huge early-season boost, but it also came with a reminder that staying unbeaten can be just as much about surviving the injury report as it is about beating ranked opponents. Georgia is now No. 1 after the 20-17 win, and Smart has already had to address a running back room that has been thinned out enough to force a committee approach.
Chauncey Bowens is the latest concern, with the junior sidelined by a lower-body injury and set to miss the upcoming Auburn game. There is no timetable for his return, and with Nate Frazier also part of the injury mix, Georgias depth at a key spot is becoming something to watch even as the Bulldogs try to keep their momentum rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Tennessee Test Could Come Down To A Few Unexpected Names
As Alabama turns toward Tennessee, the focus is not just on the usual stars but on a few names that may need to matter more than planned. Noah Rogers, Mal Waldrep, London Simmons and Carmelo O'Neal are all in position to have their roles stretched by injuries and shifting team needs, which can force a staff to lean on depth in a hurry. In a game like this, those kinds of midweek adjustments can shape everything from the opening rotation to the way Alabama tries to manage the line of scrimmage and the back end.
The challenge is that Tennessee does not offer a gentle place to introduce unfamiliar pieces. Any increased workload for Rogers, Waldrep, Simmons or O'Neal would come in a difficult environment, where execution tends to matter as much as experience. Alabama does not need every backup to become a headline, but it may need one or two of these players to settle the game in ways that are not always obvious until the matchup starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]