I wrote before the Alabama-Florida State game that the Crimson Tide had all the pressure on them to win. Fast forward to a couple of days after a 31-17 upset beatdown, and Kalen Deboer was already on the hot seat with the fans and media.
Deboer had to answer questions from the media, and it was not pretty for Deboer as he struggled to put sentences together:
Kalen DeBoer was asked about the “great week” of practice he said Alabama had before the loss to Florida State: pic.twitter.com/KunyEetzAI
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) September 1, 2025
It’s the third game that Deboer has lost where the Crimson Tide were over 13-point betting favorites. It’s something I pointed out time and time again leading up to the FSU game, with FSU as +13.5 betting underdogs.
That type of stuff never happened with Nick Saban as the head coach, but it’s another prime example of what FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos was pointing out in his interview before the Alabama game. He also correctly pointed out that the FSU defense would be tougher to face than Alabama.
Alabama has a gimme win on the schedule this week and will face Wisconsin in the following week. However, they will have a huge showdown against Georgia in late September. If they get embarrassed in that game? It could get even uglier for Deboer.
It’ll be a good thing for the Noles as they have gone head’s up with Alabama for a few recruits. If FSU can keep winning and Alabama looks like a mediocre program, it might be possible for FSU to take five-star defensive end Xavier Griffin.
The backend of their schedule is tough as well. This will be something to monitor going forward, as this is unfamiliar territory for Alabama fans.