The 2024 college football season marked a new chapter for the Alabama Crimson Tide, as they officially turned the page from the Nick Saban era.
Saban, the greatest coach in college football history, achieved unprecedented success at the program, leaving enormous shoes for replacement Kalen DeBoer to fill.
However, DeBoer’s debut season in Tuscaloosa didn’t go as planned.
The Tide failed to reach the College Football Playoff, finishing with a 9-3 regular-season record before falling to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, ending the year at 9-4.
With Alabama aiming for a return to the CFP in 2025, offensive lineman Roq Montgomery recently expressed confidence that the team is more “dialed in” this offseason.
Of course Montgomery meant for that comment to be a positive, but it ended up raising a few eyebrows around the college football world.
For example, analyst David Pollack took the comment to mean that the program got way too loose under DeBoer last season.
“Yeah, I’m confused,” Pollack said on his podcast. “I would love to get more details on this and get more of the story and hear from more of the players and stuff.
“I didn’t know this was ever a thing. I thought you always had to be on time for workouts and I thought if you didn’t, it was a punishment.”
Pollack’s reaction suggests he was surprised that Alabama players needed to stress improved focus in the first place.
Under Saban, the program was built on an expectation of relentless discipline, which raises the question: Was Alabama not fully locked in last season?
Regardless of the skepticism, Alabama players appear motivated to restore the program to its championship standard.
They’ll need to be, given the challenging schedule they’ll face in 2025.
Key matchups include battles against Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and LSU, as well as a high-profile season opener against Florida State on August 30 in Tallahassee.
While Florida State managed just two wins in 2024, playing at Doak Campbell Stadium has never been an easy task (other than this past season that is).
Alabama will have a chance to prove that their renewed focus translates to results when the 2025 season rolls around.
Only time will tell if being more “dialed in” makes the difference.
Having said that, do you think Pollack is reading way too much into Montgomery’s comment? … Or do you think there was a serious culture problem under DeBoer last season????
