Alabama and Kalen DeBoer had a whimpering season so far. Despite putting in a lot of experiments and efforts to stand out in his first year in Tuscaloosa, he brutally failed to deliver. While the debate over DeBoer’s career peaked after a crushing blow against Washington, the Tide flipped the script against the Auburn Tigers with a bounce-back win. Before the final cut on December 8th, it certainly diluted their ill reputation with the committee to a certain extent. But let’s get it real. It’s mostly an eye-wash victory for the Tide. It’s no joke at all. Every win needs sweat, and every sweat demands respect, but it doesn’t mean it can hand them a playoff berth. Sorry for the reality check, Bama fans! But don’t take it out on us. Scott Van Pelt is your offender.

Critics throw shades at DeBoer, comparing him to Mike Shula. They are not wrong. The former Washington coach has had his fair share of good. But he is clearly not ready to face the SEC, especially with the pressure to live up to Nick Saban’s set of standards for a premium team. He miserably failed to strategize and use his talents properly to mount a great season. There is no better way to put it up. But he can be a great coach the next season, who knows! In the CFB world, it’s all about the here and now. There’s no time for slow starts or future promises. And for Bama, the present calls for a slew of disappointments from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma. DeBoer retained the playoff hope in victorious Iron Bowl contention, but it’s only on pen and paper. And Scott Van Pelt busted the bubble of delusional hope for the Bama fans.

Dishing out his take on the potential narrow playoff path of No. 13, SVP said, ‘‘People are talking about Bama like I don’t want to hear it. They got beat by an Oklahoma team that got beat by three scores tonight by a ton, got beat by Vanderbilt, and got beat by Tennessee like at some point the pro, which three-loss SEC team should even be talked about here.”

There has been constant heat on Jalen Milroe and the entire Tide offense’s turnover issues in several big games. But they tried to keep their hopes in check against the Tigers, mounting a 28-14 win. Still, the college football world can’t unsee their flaws. X is flooded with memes, making a monkey of DeBoer and Alabama’s naïve playoff berth. But DeBoer, the beleaguered coach, still has some faith.

Kalen DeBoer defended his team after a staggering win against the Tigers

DeBoer is not tired. He has dealt with a lot ever since he arrived at the Bama camp. But he himself signed up for it, knowing the consequences beforehand. Succeeding the legendary Nick Saban, who earned the team seven whopping national titles in his more than two-decade-long career, wasn’t easy. But DeBoer didn’t think much when the offer came his way. He straight up headed to the city and met a team who were in a soul-shattering mindset after losing their favorite coach. It was uncomfortable, but DeBoer made it easy for himself, trying to read the pulses of the players and behaving accordingly.

It was just a trailer of what he was going to face in Alabama down the road. Throughout the season, people continued to frown at Alabama for every success and failure. It was a heck of a deal, but DeBoer knows how to drift away from all the flakes.

Now, when they stand at the most critical point in the season with a dim hope of cracking the playoff, the coach chose to turn off the outside noise and stay optimistic. ”I think everyone’s aware of our schedule, and I don’t know the exact stats, but I know we beat four top-25 teams throughout the year. We won (four) of our last six. Playing some physical football,” DeBoer justified why they deserve a playoff spot. Whether these ambitious expectations will impact the committee’s final decision remains to be seen.