Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer now has something in common with retired coach Nick Saban. That’s dealing with a two loss season in Tuscaloosa. The Tide fell to Tennessee 24 to 17 in a low scoring game that didn’t heat up until the second half. DeBoer’s second loss, following a stunning defeat by Vanderbilt, puts him in glad company with his predecessor. Observers note how the outgoing championship winning coach Nick Saban, had his shaky seasons as well. He had two or more regular season losses in 2010, 2019, and 2022. The big question now is how does this second defeat for DeBoer add up when it comes to Alabama’s chances to win one of the twelve slots in the new playoff system leading to the championship?
Going into today’s game, the College Football Playoff future for both programs appeared on the line with Alabama and Tennessee each having a loss already this season and the teams in a four-way tie for fifth in the mighty SEC. The Crimson Tide lost to Tennessee at Neyland Stadium back in 2022. Tennessee dropped in the AP Top 25 rankings overtime win over Florida and has an open date looming. Observers say Alabama’s come-from-behind defeat of perennial juggernaut Georgia might work in the Tide’s favor when it comes to selecting the twelve teams to compete in the new playoff system.
Tennessee plays Kentucky next month, along with Mississippi State, and then the Georgia Bulldogs, before ending its season against The University of Texas at El Paso, and finally Vanderbilt, which beat the Tide.
Alabama faces the Missouri Tigers next week for homecoming. The Tigers are coming off a victory over Auburn. The Tide then plays LSU, Mercer, and Oklahoma before finishing the season with the Iron Bowl against its state rival, Auburn.
