Just days after the shocking 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt, the Alabama Crimson Tide finds itself at a crossroads.
Entering the matchup as the nation’s No. 1 team with a perfect 4-0 record, the Tide’s defense collapsed, allowing 40 points in a stunning upset that came just one week after a dramatic victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.
There’s no doubt that Alabama fans are sick and tired of hearing about the shocking loss. They, along with the head coach Kalen DeBoer and the team, are eager to turn the page and get back to their winning ways.
We all expect the Tide to come out with a vengeance tomorrow and remind the nation of the team they truly are.
Having said that, Alabama’s path to the College Football Playoff may not be as smooth as what some people expect.
As a matter of fact, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt admitted he wouldn’t be shocked if Alabama misses the playoffs altogether.
“If I were to tell you that they were going to miss the playoff, you start to look at that schedule and you start to think, ‘Okay, with one loss already in the bag, they would have to go through that gauntlet only losing one game’ … Because I think three losses would put them on the outside looking in, even with that win against Georgia,” Klatt said on his Joel Klatt Show podcast.
Klatt’s comments highlight the tough schedule that Alabama now faces.
While they have a favorable matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks tomorrow at home, the road ahead gets significantly tougher.
After South Carolina, the Crimson Tide will travel to Knoxville to face the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers, followed by hosting No. 21 Missouri. They will then head to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in one of the most anticipated games of the season.
With such a challenging stretch ahead, Alabama has little margin for error if they hope to win the SEC and make it to the CFP.
A second loss could severely damage their playoff chances, and three losses would almost certainly leave them out of the conversation, especially since one of the losses came to Vandy.
Needless to say, it’s been an extremely tough week in Tuscaloosa.
While he’s undoubtedly an elite coach, the honeymoon period for DeBoer is clearly over. And that’s fair. After all, you lose all benefit of the doubt when you become the first Alabama head coach in 40 years to lose to Vanderbilt.
DeBoer faced pressure to punish team captain Malachi Moore for his unacceptable meltdown at the end of the Vandy game. However, Deboer chose to let Moore off easy citing his loyalty and passion for the program.
DeBoer even caught strays for the casual outfits he wears on gamedays, which is funny because Nick Saban could have worn nothing but boxers on the sidelines and Tide fans would have been more than happy. That’s the leeway you get when you win.
But like I said, the honeymoon for Kalen is over.
What are your thoughts on Klatt’s comments? … Do you think Alabama will actually MISS the playoffs???