‘That’s a dangerous place to be’ – Paul Finebaum drops strong words on Kalen DeBoer after Alabama’s loss to Tennessee
The Alabama Crimson Tide lost 26-10 to the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium on Saturday. DeBoer is now 0-2 against Tennessee in Knoxville.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum thinks Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is in a “scary and dangerous place” after the Crimson Tide’s 26-10 loss to Tennessee.
The Crimson Tide looked completely outclassed in the loss to the Vols. Tennessee’s defense had answers for everything Alabama tried to do offensively. And the Tide’s defense couldn’t stop the Vols’ run game in the fourth quarter.
This Alabama team is one of the most talented that DeBoer has had during his time in Tuscaloosa (though to be fair, they were without some key players against the Vols on Saturday), and the patience with the fan base is starting to wear thin after a second straight loss.
“Alabama’s not done, but they are in a very dark place,” said Finebaum on The Matt Barrie Show. “I can’t tell you the amount of anger and animus that I heard as that game was coming to an end. And here’s why: for all the things we’ve said about Kalen DeBoer, the one thing he can’t seem to do is get out of his own way. Every time he gets the fan base behind him, he loses them, and that is a dangerous and scary place to be. It doesn’t matter what your contract is. It doesn’t matter what your elite record is.
“Two years ago in a similar spot, he beats Georgia, then loses to Vanderbilt. This year, the Georgia game felt like a win. It wasn’t, but it felt good because everybody talked about all the things that that didn’t matter anymore — like the officiating. And he throws it all away. I don’t mean he threw the game away. I mean that he just got beaten to a pulp (by Tennessee). He throws the goodwill away. And I think the thing that concerns Alabama fans the most this morning is how physically beaten Alabama was, and that scares them because even though their schedule looks manageable, they still have a road game at LSU, and they have Auburn at home. I don’t need to add any more to that. He is on that cut line right now. He’s one [loss] away from not going to the playoffs in 2026, and that is going to hurt badly.”
It’s certainly possible that Alabama could win out and make the College Football Playoff at 10-2. But if the Crimson Tide lose another game this season and miss the final 12-team playoff (it’s moving to 24 teams in 2027), then some really uncomfortable conversations about DeBoer’s future in Tuscaloosa will be had this winter.
