Alabama, Kalen DeBoer Slapped With Concerning 2026 Prediction

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Last season, the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer were able to get into the College Football Playoff. They went on the road and defeated the Oklahoma Sooners before being eliminated by Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers.

Throughout the course of the year, rumors ran rampant about the future of DeBoer. Those rumors have finally come to an end and Alabama has been adamant about him being the guy to lead the program forward.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Crimson Tide will look to get back on the map as one o the top powerhouse programs in college football.

While there are many who believe that Alabama will be a playoff team this year, one notable analyst isn't buying it. That analyst is none other than Brad Crawford of CBS Sports.

Crawford does not believe that the Crimson Tide will end up getting into the College Football Playoff. One three-game stretch is the reason why he feels that way.

"Part of the reason I do not have Alabama as a preseason playoff team is because of this three-game stretch the Crimson Tide have to face," Crawford said.

"Kalen DeBoer has shown he can beat ranked teams with the Crimson Tide, but the physicality at the line of scrimmage hasn't been there. And to beat Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, you have to be physical at the point of attack."

Right after facing those three teams, Alabama is scheduled to take on Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers.

At the end of the day, the Crimson Tide play in the SEC. There are a lot of tough games to be played. Alabama has proven over the years that it can win those games.

During the 2025 season, the Crimson Tide had a brutal stretch as well. They were able to defeat No. 5 Georga, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri, and No. 11 Tennessee in four straight weeks. No one should count them out from making that kind of run again in 2026.

That being said, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Crawford currently doesn't believe that Alabama has what it takes to make the playoff.

For DeBoer and the Crimson Tide, it should be just another bit of extra motivation to prove the doubters wrong.

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