And you wonder why Joel Klatt called Kalen DeBoer the “Tiger Woods” of college football. Starting the first season as Alabama HC, Kalen DeBoer has managed to take the Tides to a strong start as Week 1 ends. The Tides opened against Kentucky with a massive 63-0 win. That game alone showed how much progress Kalen DeBoer had made with the entire offensive and defensive lines of the Tides. Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams’ pairing is something magical. Milroe snagged in 3 TDs for the team and Williams locked in 2 TDs. The offense was pure domination, locking in 334 passing yards on their first game.

So, it makes us wonder why, even after all this, Paul Finebaum still refuses to acknowledge DeBoer and his strides with Tides. On ESPN’s Always College Football on September 11th, McElroy and Finebaum discuss which team has got the chance to make it to the national championships.

Well, the top contenders currently are Georgia, Texas, Bama, Ole Miss, and Missouri. So, anyone would think that Finebaum would rank the teams in proper order and Bama would cut it to the top 3 or maybe the top 5, right? “I still think four can get to the playoffs. There’s two, I would take with comfort and there’s one that remains a little bit of a mystery to me that could surprise us,” Finebaum mentioned. And surprise surprise, he thinks DeBoer ain’t gonna make it. While Finebaum didn’t directly state this, he did note “Georgia and Texas. Uh, are seem like maybe they’re in a class of their own” and have the most chance to make it to the playoffs, followed by Ole Miss.

While it is true that the Longhorns and the Dawgs have had an amazing Week 1, you cannot just say that DeBoer and his team have no shot at making the playoffs. We do agree with one thing, the game against South Florida was a sort of reality check for DeBoer. The 1st till the 3rd quarter was a constant back and forth and the Bulls gave DeBoer’s offense a run for their money. However, in the 4th quarter, the Tides managed to wreak it all with Milroe, Willaims, Justice Haynes, and Jam Miller going ham on the field and scoring back-to-back TDs.

This ain’t even the first time Finebaum has thrown some shade at DeBoer and Bama. Finebaum had mentioned, “We all know it wasn’t, and I, frankly, don’t think it makes a bit of difference,” while talking about what he thought after watching the Tides grab the win against the Bulls. Finebaum’s main gripe was that even though DeBoer and his boys won, it wasn’t a spectacle or something great. Still, like that one rusty cog in the machine, Finebaum will always squeak, no matter how much oil you give him. The main concern for DeBoer right now is the injuries.

Can the injuries put a stopper on Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide run?

When asked for an injury update back on September 11th, DeBoer had a very diplomatic take. The HC mentioned that Cole Adams, who was suffering an upper-extremity injury, is doing “okay”. Following this, Kalen DeBoer noted that Kadyn Proctor is “coming along real well” after the preseason shoulder injury. And finally, Elijah Pritchett, who filled in for Proctor, has also had a setback, suffering a minor injury but is now “ready to go.” Despite these positive updates, there’s a lingering feeling that something isn’t quite right.

We are yet to see the actual injury report, but it feels like DeBoer is trying to play it cool. Well, we won’t know the full extent of the damage until game day. While it is true that the boys still have a lot of time before the Wisconsin game or the Bulldogs game, if they fail to get over the injury situation, then it’s going to be problematic.

Former Tides HC Nick Saban has all the faith in Kalen DeBoer, so, let’s hang onto our seats and shout “Roll Tides!”.