College Football Analyst Reveals 'Must-Win' Game for Alabama in 2025
College Football Analyst Reveals 'Must-Win' Game for Alabama in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Alabama Crimson Tide went 9-3 last season, a passable record for most programs but not the paragon in the SEC. Alabama's nine wins last year marked the first time since 2007 — their first season under the tutelage of five-time SEC Coach of the Year Nick Saban — that they did not eclipse double-digit victories.
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Much like the 2007 season, Alabama was under new management in 2024, hiring Kalen DeBoer away from the Washington Huskies to replace Saban. On Monday, college football insider Joel Klatt discussed DeBoer's standing in Tuscaloosa and among the fans during a segment of The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer and Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Klatt discussed ten college football coaches entering a pivotal 2025 campaign, but he started with DeBoer. He believes the fan base is trying to remain patient despite a brutal finish to the 2024 season, including losses to the Oklahoma Sooners and Michigan Wolverines in two of their last three games.
He called DeBoer's first year "underwhelming." given the expectations to win, and win big, at Alabama. Klatt also dissected the 2025 schedule, calling the game against the Georgia Bulldogs a "coin flip" and the early season bout against the Florida State Seminoles a surefire victory.
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However, he Zeroed in on the Tennessee Volunteers game, where a loss could push fans to call for his job.
"If you were just to lose to Tennessee — who does not have Nico Iamaleava — and now you're about to go play LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina Gamecocks) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU Tigers). I think South Carolina and LSU are both better teams than Tennessee. You still have to play Oklahoma. You still have the Iron Bowl."
With a loss, Klatt assumes Alabama would need to win out the rest of the way to make the College Football Playoff, especially with the addition of a loss against Georgia. As proven last year with Alabama, nine wins in the regular season does not equate to a postseason berth despite playing in the SEC.
"That Tennessee game at home, he's got to win that game. The pressure index for Kalen DeBoer, they are trying to be patient, but the patience would wear out real fast if they were to lose that game at home against Tennessee."
Related: Alabama Projected to Have Multiple First Round Picks in 2026 NFL Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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