Paul Finebaum: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama are CFP or 'bust' this season

Kalen DeBoer has a lot of pressure right off the bat, according to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. After making the College Football Playoff last season with Washington, DeBoer must do the same with Alabama.

Upon the retirement of Nick Saban, and a CFP appearance last year, DeBoer has to keep the train rolling. He certainly has the talent to do it.

But that doesn’t mean there’s any less pressure, according to Finebaum.

“It is enormous Greeny,” Finebaum said on Get Up. “And I know he’s coming up here in a few minutes and I’d rather not have you show this to him, but he better get to the playoffs. It is that simple. He didn’t take this job to go 8-4 and get a nice Florida bowl trip. Alabama is used to playing in the national championship game. So iv Kalen DeBoer doesn’t make it to the playoffs this year, it’s a bust.”

While there’s a lot of pressure on DeBoer, Finebaum praised how the coach handled the transition from Saban, arguably the greatest coach of all time.

“This has been the worst six months of my life without Nick Saban. I wanted to get that off my chest as we began the college football season,” Finebaum said with a smile. “But Kalen DeBoer has done a spectacular job of succeeding the GOAT. For a day or two, it was iffy, and then he put a great staff together, superb people in line.

“In some ways, I think his offensive coordinator is better than what he had last year, which wasn’t very good. And you can ask Nick about that later. But in terms of recruiting, he has been outstanding, elite — Nick Saban-like recruiting. He’s in control of this program and I think Alabama is very well-primed to go back to the playoffs.”

The coaching staff isn’t the only area the program saw a makeover. Due to the coaching turnover, Alabama lost 34 players to the transfer portal during the offseason. However, DeBoer didn’t accept defeat, adding 13 players, as well.

Moreover, DeBoer immediately hit the recruiting trail, securing win after win for the Crimson Tide. As of this report, Alabama boasts the No. 1 class in the 2025 recruiting cycle, headlined by a nation-high four five-star prospects.

Led by Heisman contender Jalen Milroe at quarterback, there are pieces in place for the Crimson Tide to be one of the best teams in the country in 2024.