Paul Finebaum: Alabama’s bowl loss to Michigan will ‘haunt’ Kalen DeBoer

Paul Finebaum understands Alabama wasn’t playing for an awful lot in the ReliaQuest Bowl this season. However, losing that game, particularly with a dreadful performance against Michigan, is something he believes will follow Kalen DeBoer into the start of 2025.

While the season had already taken on a somber note without reaching the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide came out with an absolute dud in the postseason. Facing a Michigan roster depleted by NFL-bound opt-outs, Alabama managed just 13 points with quarterback Jalen Milroe committing 3 turnovers in the 19-13 defeat.

“I don’t think Kalen DeBoer could have dialed up a more inopportune way to finish the season,” Finebaum said during his Monday appearance for McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. “Had Alabama won, there wouldn’t have been a lot of credit given for the win because of the opponent, but you can’t fight 10 wins, you can live off that. It takes you into the offseason, it gives you some momentum as you’re building your roster to the upcoming season.”

Instead, the loss was so ugly that Finebaum believes DeBoer can be categorized as on a hot seat entering the new year. That doesn’t mean Finebaum expects DeBoer to be going anywhere any time soon, but he does see the head coach under an intense amount of scrutiny as DeBoer begins Year 2 of the post-Nick Saban era.

“But a loss, especially one that looked so inept, I believe is going to haunt Kalen DeBoer. And I understand that he isn’t going to get fired, and I think it’s absurd to even have that kind of conversation. But to say he’s on some sort of a hot seat I think is accurate,” described Paul Finebaum. “That doesn’t mean very much but all it means is people are watching him very closely, and this season in Year 1 in my mind was a failure because he didn’t make the Playoff… he has a more difficult road ahead because of that loss.”

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.