There is absolutely no excuse. Kalen DeBoer and Co. are the first team out and they deserve it. After those wins against Mercer and LSU, you might think that DeBoer and his ragtag crew are finally back in shape. Those losses to Vandy and Vols did put a stain but hey, it could be washed off right? All they gotta do is sin against a washed-up Oklahoma team and then follow it up with an Iron Bowl win. Even watching that Sooners game hurts. 3 points? Really? With an offense that is strong enough to score 21 points in the first quarter itself against a strong Georgia team, you couldn’t even bring in a touchdown against a 5-loss team?

Yeah, for once, you have to sit back and agree with whatever verdict Paul Finebaum dishes out on Bama. “Nobody is feeling sorry for Alabama. They did it to themselves,” Finebaum mentioned on The Matt Barrie Show. Say what you want, but Finebaum is correct. Frankly, there aren’t a lot of Bama fans out there who think that they have been wrong. Even putting the Crimson Tide in the 11th spot during last week’s playoff rankings felt criminal.

Strength of schedule is a factor, and Bama ranks in the top 15 when it comes to it, but having a blowout loss against Oklahoma and also getting walked over by Vandy proves that you are NOT ready for the playoff. Let’s be real, even if Bama had gotten a mercy spot on the list. Do you think they had any shot at winning?

This team sinks and swims around Jalen Milroe and if another team pulls the same trick Oklahoma did, then would they even manage to score a point on the board? Even the OC, Nick Sheridan, has been all over the place. When you have a QB who is great at rush-plays, then just use that trick. Why would you even try to make him a passer?

That win against Georgia means nothing if you lose a road game against much weaker teams. Regardless of what has happened, there is still the next year. Taking this job had some drawbacks, and major expectations paired with doubts were one of them. At the end of the day, DeBoer is stepping inside Nick Saban’s shoes, right? So what is next for the HC and his crew?

What the future holds for Alabama Crimson Tide

First, let’s get “what they should improve” talk out of the way. See, Milroe has to improve. We have no idea if he is going to stick with Bama or hit the draft but as many have pointed out before, he should stick back and play another year for the Tide.

Now in the case he does, there are factors he has to improve on. Over the season, we have seen this guy go from the best to the worst, and it boils down to his passing capabilities. Milroe is good as a rusher, as we pointed out before, but he fails when it comes to completion and long passes. That has to change.

Next, Bama has to get out of their one-dimensional playstyle. Your QB cannot be your only offensive threat. Having players like Ryan Williams on the field and not using them properly is criminal. Expand the offensive weapons and let the WR or RBs spread their wings.

The defense has been perfect and should remain the way it is. Yeah, there were hit and miss, but Kane Wommack has done an amazing job, and it was pretty much the D-line that kept the boat afloat against Mercer or LSU or even Mizzou.

Finally, they need to develop their backup QB. We pointed out long ago that DeBoer has access to some amazing talents like Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Dylan Lonergan. These guys must be developed further so that even if Milroe chokes, DeBoer will have someone to fall back on. Other than this, we can only wait and watch what the Tide do next season.