Alabama Crimson Tide doesn’t do rebuilding years. That’s the unspoken rule of Tuscaloosa, where every season is a playoff-or-bust affair. Kalen DeBoer walked into that expectation the moment he took over, and after a 9-4 debut—featuring a humiliating 24-3 loss to Oklahoma and an unforgivable stumble against Vanderbilt—he’s already feeling the heat. Year one had its learning curve, but in year two, excuses run thin. The talk in Alabama isn’t about patience; it’s about whether DeBoer can keep the machine running at the level Nick Saban built.

With a loaded roster, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t win double-digit games, and yet, cracks in the foundation are forming. Those cracks? They go beyond the field, straight into the trenches of college football’s new world: NIL and the transfer portal. Alabama’s NIL situation is far from elite. A program used to dominating recruiting now finds itself ranked 67th in NIL valuation, with a staggering $2.7 million drop in adjusted value. That’s not just a number—it’s a reflection of how the game has changed. Kalen DeBoer has openly addressed the challenge, acknowledging that revenue-sharing regulations could shape the playing field in ways Alabama fans aren’t used to.

Meanwhile, in-state rival Auburn, led by Hugh Freeze, is operating under the same pressure cooker but with fewer expectations. Freeze can afford a couple of growing pains, but DeBoer? He’s coaching Alabama. The Iron Bowl rivalry is one thing, but the bigger war is being fought in recruiting battles and financial arms races, and right now, Alabama isn’t winning the way it used to. That’s exactly why Conrad Van Order’s comments on That SEC Podcast hit so hard. “I think, you know, as we get further into this new age with, you know, NIL, transfer portal… I think that’s going to become more apparent for teams,” Van Order said, pointing out how even Georgia—once untouchable—looked vulnerable last year.

Alabama fans are feeling something they haven’t in decades: reality. Van Order put it bluntly: “You can no longer just roll the ball out there on any given Saturday and expect to win.” The depth advantage that once made Alabama untouchable? It’s shrinking. The dominance that felt inevitable under Saban? It’s no longer guaranteed. And while a 9-4 season may have been digestible as a transition year, a repeat performance in 2025 would force some “serious conversations.” The comments didn’t stop there. When DeBoer recently spoke about needing a “balanced playing field” for Alabama, it didn’t sit well with the fanbase.

As Van Order noted, “This is something you could have gotten away with at Washington, but… you’re the head coach at Alabama now. That stuff’s not going to fly.” The reality check was brutal but fair. At Fresno State? At Indiana? Even during his run to the national title game with the Huskies? Kalen DeBoer could have leaned on the underdog narrative. But Alabama? There’s no sympathy in Tuscaloosa. His comment about Dodge Chargers—a not-so-subtle nod to the realities of player compensation in the Saban era—was particularly cutting.

“It’s fun to sit here and act like for 17 years every player that signed a scholarship to Alabama went because of how great Nick Saban was,” Van Order said. “But can we not act like they weren’t paying players that way? It was happening everywhere, but to act like that wasn’t a thing and now it is for Alabama?” That was the gut punch. The issue isn’t whether Alabama has the talent; it does. The problem is whether DeBoer and his staff can navigate this new landscape without falling behind.

Losing to Sooners, was bad. Losing to the Commodores? Unforgivable. The NIL drop-off and recruiting concerns aren’t just talking points; they’re existential threats to Alabama’s sustained dominance. DeBoer has to prove that last season was a fluke, not a trend. The warning has been issued.

Playtime is over.

Alabama’s DeBoer vs. Freeze: Who’s Feeling the Heat in the Iron Bowl Rivalry?

When it comes to SEC football, pressure is part of the job description. But between Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, who’s really feeling the most heat in 2025? That was the debate on the latest episode of SEC Football Unfiltered, a USA TODAY Network podcast featuring Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams.

Adams’ take? DeBoer’s seat is hotter than a Tuscaloosa sidewalk in August. “It’s Alabama,” Adams said, “The Tide expect national championships, and DeBoer didn’t come close last season. Actually, he lost to Vanderbilt. It doesn’t help DeBoer sees his predecessor, Nick Saban, on TV every time he turns it on. Just imagine if DeBoer misses the playoff for a second straight season, or – Lord, help him – he loses the Iron Bowl. Alabama fans will help him pack for Washington.”

Toppmeyer, on the other hand, thinks Freeze is in a tougher spot. “Freeze faces more pressure, because his buyout is tens of millions of dollars cheaper than DeBoer’s,” he argued. “DeBoer’s contract should buy him at least three seasons—although, I might reconsider if he loses the Iron Bowl.”

So who’s got it worse? The answer might just come down to who wins in late November.