Once again, Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide finds themselves in a challenging situation, as analysts criticize their gameplay right before their rivalry game against the LSU Tigers. It’s hard to fault the analysts entirely, given Bama’s inconsistent performance, which became a popular subject after their first loss of the season against Vanderbilt. We all remember how that affected DeBoer’s reputation. Now, with the entire world constantly comparing his coaching techniques to Nick Saban’s, the team is facing yet another obstacle.

Adding fuel to the fire, today on a recent episode of ESPN College Football analyst Pete Thamel expressed his opinion regarding Alabama’s upcoming showdown against the LSU Tigers, and surprisingly, he gave an edge to the Tigers, saying, “My head says Bama might have an edge, as I feel they’ll be able to move the ba-l in different ways. But I’ve learned over the years to never, ever pick against LSU at home, especially at night. So, I’m taking LSU to win; I’ll take the points, whatever it is—I’m picking the Tigers.” Well, the LSU Tigers boast a strong home record of 138-23, currently riding a 13-game winning streak at home, which began in the 2022 season. But that doesn’t seem to be a fair comparison for Kalen DeBoer and the team.

It should be based on gameplay. Alabama’s offense has been a big reason for their standing this season. The team has forced 18 turnovers in their eight games in the ongoing season, which is ranked sixth best in the country. If that’s not excellence, then what is? But then their rising penalties this season have been a major issue, which also limited their execution on the field.

Talking about Alabama’s inconsistent gameplay, even Pete Thamel addressed the same issue, saying, “Alabama isn’t the dominant team they once were. They’re facing a lot of challenges, and while we didn’t expect them to be the relentless force they were under Nick Saban, they’re currently struggling with penalties and defensive inconsistencies. These structural flaws have made it a wild season for them so far.” The team had 15 penalties for 115 yards against the Vols, which is not a good sign. But that’s not the only thing that poses a threat to the team.

LSU’s threat on Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama

Alabama’s Saturday showdown against the Tigers is a very crucial game for the team. Currently, the team is standing on a 6-win, 2-loss streak in the season, and losing for the third time will not only shatter their playoff hopes but will also have a big impact on Kalen DeBoer’s position in the team. However, there is only one way to secure a confirmed victory against LSU: to stop their star quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, from running on the field because of the danger he brings to the opposite defense. Garrett has thrown for 2,627 yards with 20 touchdowns this season; now you can understand how important it is to limit his gameplay.

Even Bama’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer, seems to agree with the fact. As talking about their game against LSU, Kalen highlighted Garrett’s execution this season, saying, “He is good at understanding the offense and how it applies and where his throws are that are easy completions to let his athletes go and do things with the ball in their hands. You gotta put some pressure on him; put him in uncomfortable spots.” Well, it looks like Kalen DeBoer believes that if Bama can shut down Garrett Nussmeier, their chances of victory will skyrocket. However, the question arises: can limiting one player truly benefit them against the Tigers, or are there other factors Kalen DeBoer and his team should weigh?