After the embarrassing loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff, which came after taking down Oklahoma in the first round we might add, plenty of people have been going after Kalen DeBoer. This week, even CBS listed him among the list of coaches facing the most pressure for next season.
With DeBoer being the head coach for Alabama, there's of course going to be extra pressure on him to deliver. However, is the Bama fanbase taking things a bit over the top in that department? That's what SEC Network's Cole Cubelic thinks. Yup, the former Auburn standout didn't mince words in calling out the Alabama faithful a bit:
Cole Cubelic sounds off on Alabama fans still comparing Kalen DeBoer to Nick Saban. 😳
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) February 20, 2026
What’s your take?https://t.co/o4dCN5E8MD pic.twitter.com/8sIxfd0pqV
Former Auburn OL Cole Cubelic calling out Alabama fans has people talking
As you can see from the social media post from Touchdown Alabama, Cubelic references the Nick Saban era in his words for Bama fans. Per Cubelic, people who watch Alabama are trying to compare what DeBoer is doing to what Saban accomplished.
When Saban decided to retire from coaching, it stunned a lot of us, but it also put whoever was going to replace him in an incredibly difficult position. Saban is no doubt the GOAT when it comes to college coaching, with everyone being spoiled from all the success he had in the SEC.
DeBoer powered Washington to the National Championship Game right before leaving Montlake and packing his bags for Alabama. After missing the CFP in Year 1, he helped guide the Tide back in 2025, but the loss to Indiana still has some folks talking and not in a good way.
Following that loss, more calls came in for Alabama to fire DeBoer, which we respectfully think were a bit absurd. This is something Cubelic probably took notice of too, which is why he fired this recent message off. On one hand, yes, there's pressure on DeBoer, but Alabama fans are always going to hold him to a high standard. If he doesn't live up to the hype in 2026, then he'll once again hear from people who are not happy with what he's doing. It's their right to do so.