ESPN analyst thinks Alabama football has 'diminished'

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a disappointing 2024 season, to say the least. The Tide finished the season 9-4 and failed to make the College Football Playoff under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum voiced his thoughts on the state of one of college football's most storied programs. 

DeBoer is the successor to former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who led the Tide to six national titles. The former Washington head coach taking over after Saban's departure was going to welcome a load of expectations. 

The Crimson Tide started the season strong with a win against No. 2 Georgia in Week 5, and quarterback Jalen Milroe was a legitimate Heisman contender. However, Alabama suffered a monumental upset loss to unranked Vanderbilt the following weekend. It's fair to say that the loss put a damper on the program for the rest of the season. 

Alabama fell to Tennessee a few weeks later, and the Tide had no room for error the rest of the season to make the playoffs. They then defeated a pair of ranked teams in No. 21 Missouri and No. 15 LSU. However, the Tide lost against an unranked Oklahoma team in dominant fashion toward the end of the season. 

Moreover, Alabama fell to the Michigan Wolverines in the Reliaquest Bowl. 

The Crimson Tide hadn't finished a season under 10 wins since 2007, which was Saban's first campaign in Tuscaloosa. 

In an interview with On3, Finebaum stated, "I felt going into Year One, it was playoff or bust. I don't think anything has changed. That is just a description, that doesn't mean his job changes because he doesn't make the playoffs. But the perception right now of Alabama Football is diminished."

Alabama was inconsistent on both sides of the ball throughout the season. The Tide gave up 24-plus points to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Offensively, Milroe took a step back compared to his 2023 season. 

Milroe threw for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his final season in Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound passer struggled since having beaten the Bulldogs in Week 5. Since that win, Milroe garnered six touchdowns and 10 interceptions and led the Crimson Tide to a 5-4 record. 

As Milroe heads to the NFL, DeBoer will have to find a competent enough quarterback to contend in a competitive Southeastern conference.

Luckily for Alabama, it ranks No. 3 in the 2025 high school recruiting class according to 247Sports, which is a good sign for the future.

DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will be expected to contend for a national title in 2025 and anything less won't suffice for its fan base.