The goal for Alabama next season, like every season, is to win a National Championship. Contrary to what some might believe, falling short of that ultimate goal does not automatically classify a season as a disappointment.
But missing the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season would classify as more than just a disappointment for Kalen DeBoer; it would be an outright disaster and quell the well-earned momentum that DeBoer and the staff have built this offseason with the culture and recruiting success.
Sometimes the dividing line between success and failure is just a handful of plays. As disappointing as last season was for the Crimson Tide, that was still the case. A play here and a play there would have completely flipped the narrative and landed Alabama in the playoff.
Executing better in key situations is a must if Alabama wants to improve. DeBoer knows it.
"We've got to be better in the critical moments," said DeBoer in an interview with a local news reporter in South Dakota.
"That again comes through repetition, understanding of what we're going to do when we get in those spots. I've really enjoyed this offseason, teaching and working with those guys on how we're going to be different, you know, be better when those opportunities come up."
Alabama went just 2-3 in one-score games in 2024
Executing in the clutch was not a strong suit of the 2024 Crimson Tide.
Everyone remembers Ryan Williams' game-winning touchdown to beat Georgia in September, but following that seven-point win, Alabama went 1-3 in one-score games the rest of the season.
One week after the win over the Bulldogs, Alabama went to Nashville and lost 40-35 to Vanderbilt. There were plenty of moments Alabama would like to have back from that game, perhaps none more prominent than a sack fumble in the 4th quarter when the Tide was trailing by just five points and was engineering a drive to potentially take the lead.
Alabama made the plays it needed to the following week to escape with a 27-25 win over South Carolina at home, but followed that up with plenty of miscues in a loss to Tennessee in Knoxville.
After scoring a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to take a brief lead, Alabama's offense didn't muster anything the rest of the game. Alabama ran 11 plays after that, netting three total yards and throwing a game-ending interception.
Imagine instead that Milroe doesn't get sacked and fumbles against Vanderbilt, and instead the Tide punches in a touchdown and ultimately hangs on to win. Even without flipping the results in Knoxville and Norman, a 10-2 Alabama team is in the College Football Playoff and probably hosting a first-round matchup on Saban Field.
The narrative of DeBoer's first season would be totally different if you flipped just a handful of plays last season. The difference between winning and losing is at times minute. Sometimes it all comes down to which team executes better when he game is on the line, and unfortunately, more often than not last season that team was the opponent instead of the Crimson Tide.