Several college football teams are seeking to recover from disappointing 2024 seasons, and one of those teams is the Alabama Crimson Tide.
After Nick Saban retired following the 2023 season, Kalen DeBoer took over as head coach. In DeBoer’s first year, Alabama finished with a 9-4 record, marking the team’s worst season since Saban’s debut in 2007.
The Crimson Tide did have some notable victories, including a 3-1 record against teams that were ranked at the time, as well as a win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, who finished No. 15 in the final College Football Playoff rankings.
However, Alabama also experienced setbacks, losing three games to teams with five or more losses. A key loss was a 24-3 defeat to Oklahoma in the season’s penultimate game, which dashed Alabama’s hopes of a College Football Playoff berth.
During The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum was asked if Alabama could recover and win the national championship next season. He expressed skepticism about that possibility.
“I don’t see a national championship for Alabama,” Finebaum said. “I think that their goal really is the same as it was this year. Get to the playoff.”
DeBoer came to Alabama after a successful stint as head coach of the Washington Huskies, where he led the team to a 25-3 record over two seasons. In his final year at Washington, he guided the Huskies to a 14-1 record, with the only loss coming to the Michigan Wolverines in the national championship game.
Despite DeBoer’s past success, Finebaum has criticized him for his underwhelming first season with Alabama, stating that he isn’t impressed with his prior accomplishments.
“What doesn’t matter anymore is what he’s done in the past. What matters is what he’s done at Alabama, and I’m not impressed.”
Although DeBoer’s first season with Alabama didn’t meet expectations, his overall coaching record stands at 46-13 across five seasons at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He is now focused on leading the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff.
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Nick Saban sharesa Hilarious Derrick Henry’s Pass Blocking Story From Time at Alabama
Derrick Henry left a lasting legacy on the Alabama football program, winning the 2015 Heisman Trophy and a national championship with the Crimson Tide.
Now a star with the Baltimore Ravens, Henry was coached by the legendary Nick Saban at Alabama. Saban, who recently appeared on The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, shared a memorable story about Henry’s early days at Alabama, particularly his struggles with pass protection.
Saban recalled, “Derrick Henry. Alright, so he’s a freshman. We’re doing a team pass drill. And he don’t know his ass from a handful of sand about pass protection, pass blocking, none of this s—. So the coach is—the offensive coordinator is—he doesn’t pick up the right guy or something and the offensive coordinator is getting on him so bad. I’m like, ‘I feel sorry for this guy.
I’m gonna go, you know, rub his neck a little bit.’ And [Henry] looks at me and he says, ‘Coach, I don’t know anything about any of this s—. All they did in high school was turn around and toss me the ball and tell me to run with it. That’s all I know about football. So can you all have a little patience?'”
Saban’s story highlights Henry’s humble beginnings and how even one of the greatest running backs in college football history had to adjust
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 23, 2025
Despite his early struggles, Henry went on to win the Heisman, the Maxwell Award, and a national title—one of six that Saban has claimed at Alabama. This serves as a reminder that even the best players weren’t always perfect at the start.
