The Alabama Crimson Tide got blown out by the Tennessee Volunteers. It was never close from start to finish, and it was a comedy of errors throughout. After a second straight loss, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer stepped to the podium to steady the ship. I’m not sure his words helped.

During his postgame press conference, DeBoer was asked about Alabama’s margin for error after back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee. He said:

“It’s going to be really uncomfortable. Everyone’s going through it, so we’re going to respond and get it done. We’ve been through this before. And we’ve gotten it done.”

The issue with DeBoer’s postgame quote

DeBoer’s optimism isn’t the problem. I like that he’s projecting confidence. I think he’s right. The Crimson Tide still has a real chance to win five games in a row and see where they stand heading into the postseason.

The problem is the very last sentence: “We’ve been through this before, and we’ve gotten it done.”

That’s what bothers me. DeBoer and Alabama looked like they were on a rocket ship, and then they lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. Plenty of people brushed that one off. Alabama got hosed by some calls, it was competitive, and it looked nothing like the SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide would right the ship against Tennessee the following week, and everything would be fine.

Instead, the game against the Vols went completely haywire. Alabama showed no sign of competitiveness. Now the Tide have dropped two games in a row, have no momentum, and face what amounts to a must-win situation every week for the rest of the season.

Alabama has been here before, and that is the whole problem

This isn’t a new place for Alabama under DeBoer. The Crimson Tide are right back in the same spot they were in last season, and in the season before that, where they risk missing the College Football Playoff.

Think back to last season. Between Weeks 2-9, Alabama looked like the best team in college football. Then it dropped one to Oklahoma and got beat badly by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Now the Tide have lost two in a row.

Go back one more year to DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa. Alabama missed the College Football Playoff entirely after losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. That’s the pattern. Hot stretches followed by a stumble at the worst possible time.

DeBoer’s message is falling on deaf ears

I understand what DeBoer is trying to say. He wants his locker room and the fan base to remember that this group has responded to adversity before. That message is falling on deaf ears, though, because “we’ve been through this before” is exactly what everyone is upset about.

Yes, Alabama has been through this before. That’s the frustration. A program with the Crimson Tide’s resources and expectations shouldn’t keep landing in the same must-win corner year after year.

To be fair to DeBoer, none of this is settled. Will Alabama get through it? Will it come out better on the other side? Can it win five in a row and punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff? All of that is still up in the air, and this team has the talent to make it happen.

Whether Alabama finishes the job is a separate question. The fact that the Crimson Tide are in this position yet again is a big, big disappointment, and DeBoer reminding everyone of it after a blowout loss to Tennessee didn’t make it sting any less.