What Kalen DeBoer Sees as Issues in Alabama's Consistency

DeBoer's first season as Alabama head coach has been a roller coaster with huge wins against ranked teams and nearly inexplicable losses.

Nov 23, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer on the side lines during the third quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—  Alabama has been one of the most confusing teams in college football this season. The Crimson Tide has been as high as No. 1 and as low as No. 15. Kalen DeBoer's squad is now No. 13 in the polls after an almost inexplicable 24-3 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide has proven it can beat anyone in the country with its early-season win over Georgia. It has also shown it can play well on the road with dominant wins at Wisconsin and LSU. Yet, Alabama has also struggled mightily in its other three road gmaes, which all resulted in losses.

DeBoer said this most recent loss was particularly frustrating because he felt like the team had done a good job of building up its consistency over the last month in the wins over Missouri, LSU and Mercer.

"The consistency in all areas really starts with winning the turnover margin," DeBoer said Monday. "That’s been ways when we’ve really gotten momentum. We’ve started fast because of it. We’ve held teams to field goals. We gave up, really the one touchdown and we forced them to field goals so some of those things were still were in play. We didn’t have that momentum that you need. We went into an environment and we let the environment be what it was because we didn’t grab ahold of it like we did at LSU, and it kind of took over the place."

Overall this season, Alabama has been one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers and is currently eighth in the country in turnover margin at +11. But in each loss this season, the Crimson Tide turned the ball over at least twice. Alabama did so three times on Saturday against the Sooners–– all Jalen Milroe interceptions.

In the big wins (Georgia and LSU), Alabama has gotten off to a quick start offensively, scoring touchdowns on the opening drives. The Crimson Tide has not scored a touchdown on the first drive in any of the three losses. It has appeared that if the offense isn't doing well from the jump, it's a struggle to get things going.

Saturday's loss was the first time in over a decade that the Alabama offense failed to score a touchdown in a game. All the coaches thought the Crimson Tide had a good week of practice and was prepared leading up to the Oklahoma game, but didn't see that translate into execution against the Sooners.

"I thought we didn’t execute well enough, and that was all of us," Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. "And obviously it was disappointing, but we all played a part in that, coaches, players. It was not one position or the other. We all didn’t execute well enough, consistently enough down-in and down-out to be able to stack plays, to put our team in a position to win."

Alabama has a chance to finish the regular season on a strong note and a small, outside chance at the College Football Playoff if complete chaoes ensues over the next two Saturdays across the sport. This week's Iron Bowl provides the opportunity for the Crimson Tide to extend its winning streak over Auburn to five games, finish with an undefeated record at home and keep the possibility alive of extending the streak of winning double-digit games in a season that Nick Saban started in 2008 (pending a postseason win.)

It will also be Senior Day for 19 Crimson Tide seniors in one of the best rivalries in the sport of college football with an Auburn team coming to town that needs one more win to become bowl elligible.

"It’s going to be an awesome environment, we know that," DeBoer said. "We love playing the game at home, right? You get a chance to be undefeated–– that’s a sidebar–– but to be undefeated at home is a big deal. That’s always been a big deal to me. That’s where we’re at as a team, but this game, what it means to those that come from each side. What it means to the state to talk about, not just told to me, but talked about amongst everyone in their homes...That’s what rivalry games are all about and this is a rivalry that’s on another level.""

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