A four-loss season in 2024 had plenty in the national media quick to begin shoveling dirt on Alabama as a legitimate college football powerhouse. That is beginning to feel like a distant memory, however, as everyone is beginning to accept that the Crimson Tide isn't going anywhere under Kalen DeBoer.
It has been a productive offseason in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer effectively flipped the roster in the winter Transfer Portal window, and then didn't lose a single scholarship player in the spring portal window.
Buy-in with the current roster is at an all-time high for DeBoer. He has his players, his staff, and his system firmly in place. All that is left is results on the field. They should be following closely behind.
Recently, FanDuel updated its win totals for the 2025 season. Alabama jumped a full win from 8.5 to 9.5, signaling a renewed faith in the Crimson Tide coming from Las Vegas. Momentum is brewing for a potentially special season in Tuscaloosa.
If you needed further proof that Alabama will be a legitimate National Championship contender next season, look no further than a new ranking from ESPN that came out on Thursday.
Bill Connelly's SP+ has Alabama ranked No. 2 in the preseason
Bill Connelly's post-spring SP+ update has Alabama ranked No. 2 in the country, behind only defending National Champion Ohio State.
Your mileage may vary on SP+, but I've always found it as a useful predictive measurement. SP+ controversially had Ohio State ranked No. 1 heading into the College Football Playoff despite the Buckeyes having two losses, including a surprising loss to Michigan to finish the regular season.
Ohio State then went on a dominant run in the playoff and won the National Championship.
SP+ was higher on Alabama last season than most. Even with four losses, Alabama finished ranked No. 4 in the country. What that showed is that the Tide was good enough to be a legitimate contender last season, but were doomed by unexpectedly poor performances in a couple of games.
One of the most unlikely results of the season, based on Connelly's post-game win expectancy, was Vanderbilt beating Alabama in Nashville. Based on the stats, the 'Dores were given a 1.8% chance of winning that game. We just happened to live in the timeline in which they did.
Flip that result - or the total no-show in Norman - and Alabama is in the playoff last season.
Alabama being ranked No. 2 in SP+ is a nice sign that the roster is in good shape. But finishing fourth last season and losing four games should show that it is rather meaningless. The Tide was one of the five best teams in college football last season on paper and still managed to lose four games.
You have to show up every single Saturday, a harsh lesson that Kalen DeBoer had to learn in year one. Hopefully it has prepared him for year two as his second season in Tuscaloosa will be the determining factor on if he is long for the Alabama job.