Kalen DeBoer era at an early crossroads, Alabama not championship contender right now

Kalen DeBoer traded in his Crimson T-shirt for a black hoodie Saturday, but the head coach’s fashion change didn’t result in a more buttoned-up football team.

Alabama: 27, South Carolina: 25, Mistakes: Infinity. 

On the heels of last week’s historic upset to Vanderbilt, Alabama narrowly avoided another cataclysmic loss as a three-touchdown favorite. 

There was no wake-up call or angry Alabama response. An emotional hangover still lingering?

No, this is simply a team plagued with problems — from personnel to coaching. There are troubling signs everywhere.

Alabama is an unserious championship contender right now, and Saturday’s rinse-and-repeat performance — only perhaps even more alarming than even the loss to Vandy? — raises serious questions about what this team is moving forward. 

Where to begin?

The Tide’s offense wasn’t the issue last week, but outside of the game’s opening script Saturday, they couldn’t block the Gamecocks. Their offensive line was exposed. Again. 

They were held to right around 300 yards — and 34 of those came on a busted-play touchdown that ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. Kyle Kennard ate right tackle Elijah Pritchett’s lunch (two sacks), and South Carolina finished with nine TFLs, four sacks and held Alabama to just 2.7 yards per carry.

Jalen Milroe accounted for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter that allowed Alabama to survive, but he also had a pair of ghastly interceptions — and his two decisions late in the first half completely flipped the tenor of the game. 

Kalen DeBoer might have an impeccable win-loss record, but Alabama is not a well-coached football team right now. This is what the drop-off from the GOAT to a really good coach looks like.

Here’s a masterclass in how to botch the ‘middle eight:’

– With 1:36 left in the first half, Alabama’s secondary blows a coverage for a 36-yard pass by LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett Jr. 

– The Tide then commit a personal foul penalty on the kickoff, moving the ball back to the 13-yard line. On the very first play of the series, Milroe gets tagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. 

– After a South Carolina fumble near midfield, Milroe took a sack and then threw a pick that allowed the Gamecocks to kick a field goal in the closing seconds of the second quarter. 

Suddenly, a 14-0 Alabama lead became a 14-12 game at the half.

Would Alabama make some shrewd halftime adjustments? Would they come out and put the hammer down after letting go of the rope in the final few minutes of the second quarter?

Nope. 

The Gamecocks opened the third quarter with a 16-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that chewed up nearly nine minutes on the clock. They converted five third downs, and just like Vandy did a week ago, they had the Tide’s defense on its heels with motion, QB-run and inside option plays. 

According to ESPN’s David Hale, the lengthy drive was the third time this season Alabama has allowed a 16-play, touchdown possession. 

Under Nick Saban, that happened ONCE in the last decade from 2014-2023. 

But the issues for Kalen DeBoer & Co., didn’t stop there. 

This is a football team that simply makes stupid mistakes and can’t get necessary stops. 

Again, Milroe deserves credit bailing out the Tide late with his arm and legs, but his second interception in the end zone wiped away coveted points. 

The 34-yard touchdown to Germie Bernard was a miscue, too, as the Washington transfer should’ve stopped short of the goal line with South Carolina out of timeouts. Instead, the score gave Gamecocks a chance to tie the game with around 75 seconds to play.

And they nearly did. 

Sellers drove USC down the field and hit Nyck Harbor for a 31-yard touchdown pass on another poor play by Alabama’s young secondary. The Tide’s lone saving grace that was Sellers then threw the 2-point to Birmingham, missing a wide-open receiver in the back of the end zone that would’ve tied the game. 

But the Tide couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief as they muffed the onside kick to give USC the ball again at midfield. 

If not for another horrible decision by Sellers (he missed another open receiver and opted to tuck and run that resulted in a huge sack), who knows what might’ve happened?

What is Alabama’s identity right now? What do the Tide do well aside from Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams save us plays? Where is previous brilliant in-game coaching from a DeBoer-led team?

Alabama has now been out-played for two straight weeks against two teams that — with all due respect — will finish near the bottom of the SEC this season. 

Since the second half against Georgia, the defense has been shredded in nine of the last 10 quarters (85 points, over 1,100 yards allowed). As a team, the Tide committed another seven penalties for 66 yards.

Midway through the fourth quarter, ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer had a conversation about Alabama’s playoff resume — depending on whether they won or lost Saturday. 

In the words of Jim Mora Sr., “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs?”

The only conversation around Alabama right now should be if the Tide even stand a chance to win at Tennessee next weekend.