Nothing makes an Auburn Tigers fan happier than someone dissing Alabama Football. The Aubies are loving recent comments by Joel Klatt about the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide. Not only did Klatt criticize the 2026 team, but he also claimed the Crimson Tide program would fall further before it could bounce back.
In his show, Klatt named three teams that are trending down. Included with Alabama were Florida State and Utah. Klatt said there is a new reality in Tuscaloosa, with Georgia and Texas being the SEC's elite teams and Alabama not being on the level of the Bulldogs and the Longhorns.
Klatt didn't stop there, saying, "The reality is, they're coming off back-to-back four-loss years," Klatt said. "The best part of their team was Ty Simpson— by a wide margin — and they're losing him. I don't love what's going on down there. They got blown out by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. They got blown out by Indiana. Indiana did whatever they wanted to do. They ran the ball 50 times straight at Alabama. This is not the Alabama of two, three, four or five and certainly not 10 years ago. Alabama has been trending down and I think that trend is going to continue."
Alabama football fans agree with Klatt about recent past
Klatt is 100% correct about the SEC Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. In both games, the Crimson Tide bore no resemblance to the championship teams of the Nick Saban Era. There is also no debate that back-to-back four-loss seasons are unacceptable. The only space for refutation is whether the downward trend will continue. Klatt may be right that it will continue, or optimistic Alabama Crimson Tide fans could be right that 2026 will see a rejuvenation of the program. Neither Klatt nor optimistic fans can be sure.
Auburn fans are no doubt loving what Andrew Hughes wrote about Klatt's observations, "Klatt doesn't see Alabama ever heading back in the opposite direction under DeBoer. ...the reality is that they have quickly descended into a place that, when I think about their conference, I don’t think about them initially, and I don’t even think about them in the top three. When I think about the SEC, I immediately think of Georgia and Texas and, oh, by the way, Alabama."
Auburn fans can't be blamed for seeking solace wherever they can. Losing to an arch-rival for six straight seasons can make a sane fan base go crazy. And the Aubies have never been known for much sanity.