The national media didn't allow any breathing room to air any excuses some may have for Alabama football's Kalen DeBoer in the Crimson Tide's embarrassing 38-3 loss in the Rose Bowl to Indiana on New Year's Day.
This heavy criticism comes as DeBoer and the Crimson Tide were dominated from start to finish en route to being trounced by 35 points, marking Alabama's biggest loss in 28 years. One of the loudest mouths to sound off after this embarrassment was ESPN personality, Stephan A. Smith, who took to X postgame to pour hot water on DeBoer and the Tide as their season comes to a disappointing close.
There’s no way to slice it: this is an awful look for Kaleb DeBoer at @AlabamaFTBL. Losses happen. Thorough ass-kickings, in the CFB Playoffs, for an @SEC team is not suppose to go down this way. We’ll probably hear Alabama folks saying DeBoer should’ve taken himself to…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 2, 2026
Stephen A. Smith calls Alabama's loss to Indiana "awful look" for Kalen DeBoer
Smith's mention of Michigan refers to the recent speculation of DeBoer previously being linked as a strong candidate to become Michigan's next head coach next season. The Wolverines ultimately hired former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to be their head coach following the Sherome Moore fiasco in late December. Of course, DeBoer has since rejected all paths to Ann Arbor, while ensuring he'll be Alabama's head football coach next season.
The egg his team laid in the Rose Bowl won't endear him much to Tide fans, particularly those who were already on the fence. Alabama's comeback win over Oklahoma in the opening round of the playoff helped alleviate some of the pressure that would have come from a second straight late-season collapse.
But Alabama's performance wasn't acceptable on Thursday afternoon in Pasadena, and spoke to just how wide of a gap there is between the Crimson Tide and the upper echelon of college football.
Curt Cignetti raising Indiana to that level, a program that has long been a laughingstock in the Big Ten, only serves to make Alabama fans more impatient.