Let's be honest, nobody who is an Alabama football fan wakes up in August hoping the season ends in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. In Alabama, the expectation isn't just winning. It's winning the whole thing. Titles, trophies, rings, and the most accolades imaginable to maintain supremacy in college football.
When the season ends sooner than planned, it hurts. The loss in the Rose Bowl stings, and it should. But once the emotion settles, there's another truth just as real as the disappointment. Making the College Football Playoff and reaching the quarterfinals in year two under Kalen DeBoer is still a successful season. It is a sign that the program is in the right direction post-Saban.
Alabama took a positive step forward in Kalen DeBoer's second season
When Florida State handed Alabama a loss early in the year, critics circled the Tide like vultures. "Down Year." "They aren't the same Alabama." "They won't recover." "Season is over."
They were wrong. Alabama did not fade; they responded. The Tide regrouped, improved week by week, and forced their way into the playoff conversation until there was no realistic way to leave them out. In an era of expanded playoffs where depth and durability matter more than ever, Alabama proved it belonged among the nation's elite, even after running through the buzzsaw that was Indiana, THE nation's most elite team. That isn't hype for the Tide; that is a consistent performance across the season.
Year two stability is a big deal, even if it is overlooked
Transitions break programs all the time. Ask any Alabama fan, and the sky was falling when Saban retired. In DeBoer's second season, the Tide was still competing for a national championship in the quarterfinals of the playoff. They still are bringing in top recruiting talent and developing those players. No matter how much the rest of the college football fans are tired of seeing Alabama and got joy from seeing the slaughter in the Rose Bowl today, Alabama is still relevant and in the conversation of powerhouses in college football. They were one of the twelve best teams in all of college football.
There may be a drop off from the Saban era, but that was expected. Worse was expected from most fans once Saban left. For the Tide to keep competing, have the season they did, and have plenty of young talent and optimism for next year, is rare. Some programs spend years trying to get back into the playoff picture. Alabama did it with new schemes, new roles, and new leaders, and still won enough to play meaningful games in December. That matters.
This wasn't some scrappy underdog that was gifted a playoff spot. Alabama was efficient on offense for most of the season, dangerous in space, had a defense that shut down most of their opposition, and found ways to beat good teams. This team was far from perfect. It had flaws like many teams in college football do. However, the loss today was proof that Alabama remains one of the few programs where even "not quite enough" still means "top tier."
That's perspective.
If this is the second year under DeBoer and is still the figuring-out stage, imagine the ceiling for this program in the next few years. Most fans will take a playoff run after barely missing out on the playoffs last year. Even if the season ends in frustration instead of fireworks. If this is the baseline, then the best is yet to come.
The Tide will find a way to keep on rolling.