The first day of the year is when many people reflect on the previous year and maybe even come up with resolutions that they probably will break by the end of January. So, with that being said, as I watch the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Ole Miss, it is the perfect time to reflect on the 2025 roller coaster ride, which is better known as the Alabama football season.
The range of emotions I have felt towards this team and coaches has been all over the place. This team has brought Alabama Nation a lot of joy, but at the same time, more than enough to be mad about, and could lead a fan to drinking.
We should have known from how things went in Tallahassee that it was going to be anything but a normal season for the Crimson Tide. There was so much anger that day, which would return for many in the fanbase throughout the season.
Of course, the team responded well after this, going on a long winning streak that included four straight ranked wins, beating Georgia in the regular season as always, and most importantly, getting revenge wins over Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Just as it seemed most of the fanbase was all in on DeBoer again, we got the South Carolina game and the struggles of November, which included a second straight loss to OU, which got the haters going strong again.
It was nice getting revenge on that same Oklahoma team in Norman a little less than two weeks ago, but it seems most are going to focus on the embarrassment that was the SEC Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. If anything, people will point out that the Sooners should have never lost a 17-0 lead to one of the most up-and-down teams in America. For all the talking heads and fans around the country who said Alabama did not deserve to be in the playoff after a third loss, unfortunately got their "told ya so" moment after Indiana made the Rose Bowl almost unbearable to watch.
There are plenty of people who want to see both Ryan Grubb and Kane Wommack fired after the Rose Bowl, though I will argue that even in this game, the defense was left in many bad spots. To me, they were the most consistent unit, and despite being a more bend but don't break unit, the season would have been far worse if they hadn't kept us in many a game as the offense struggled. Grubb sometimes leaves you with the feeling he is the perfect man to be calling plays, but then he will have very questionable fourth-down play calls, like in the Rose Bowl and the SEC Championship Game, which totally took the Tide out of both games. I think it is too early to give up on Grubb, but 2026 is going to have to be a much more consistent season with how the offense looks.
As many fans who are mad at DeBoer, Grubb, and Wommack, I remain confused why there is not more angst towards offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. We have not had consistently good line play his entire time in Tuscaloosa, which really hurt Ty Simpson late in the season and contributed greatly to the running game being near nonexistent most weeks. There needs to be a change here before anywhere else, as we have seen a team can only be as good as the offensive line is.
There have been many good individual players, but as a unit, they are average at best. An improved line should help bring a more consistent running game as well as help the quarterback out greatly next season. There will be much opinion and speculation as to who should be under center in 26 until a starter is officially announced.
Outside of offensive line play struggles, my biggest grievance with the Alabama football team right now is not necessarily the losses but how they lose games. In three of the four losses this year, the team seemed to quit after getting punched in the mouth, and that can not happen. We saw this against Florida State, in the SEC Championship Game, and the Rose Bowl. No matter how you feel about Kalen DeBoer, this has to be fixed.
At no point should Alabama be blown out, and it feels like the team stopped playing. The transfer portal will be interesting, and for this coaching staff, there better be more good news than anything to take away as much sting as possible from the Rose Bowl. The potential for this team to be great is there, but the pressure will be through the roof as there will be no room for error and little tolerance for losses amongst one of the least patient fan bases in the country.