Paul Finebaum says Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss ‘shattered belief’ in Kalen DeBoer
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It’s not often that you see Alabama‘s football team get blown out on a national stage. But in 2 of the Crimson Tide’s last 3 games, they’ve been utterly dominated. And their lack of fight against both the old school (Georgia) and new school (Indiana) premier programs has Paul Finebaum sounding the alarm on Kalen DeBoer.
On Monday’s episode of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum suggested the confidence in DeBoer amongst Alabama’s fanbase could be waning. He said those he chatted with think DeBoer is a good coach, but maybe not the right fit in Tuscaloosa.
“I think almost everyone with whom I’ve spoken likes Kalen DeBoer and thinks he is a very good football coach. Maybe a top-tier football coach,” Finebaum said. “But everyone… also asks the same question: is he the right football coach for Alabama… he has tremendous accomplishments. But Thursday afternoon in Pasadena shattered a lot of the belief that this program is going to get to where a lot of people thought it could get, and that’s a championship situation.”
DeBoer is 20-8 in 2 seasons with the Crimson Tide. Alabama’s win against Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff seemingly helped him retain his job for 2026, but a significant CFP run next year could be required for him to return in 2027. He showed at Washington in 2023 that he’s capable of reaching college football’s biggest stage. However, doing so from the SEC is an entirely different beast.
The Crimson Tide open the 2026 season versus East Carolina on Sept. 5.
