Look how the tables turned! What would have been your answer if someone had asked you at the beginning of the 2024 kickoff which team looks stronger, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, and Miami Hurricanes? Yes, we get it. Votes would keep rising for Kalen DeBoer’s and Kirby Smart’s programs. But somehow they have lost all the limelight this season. And guess who is the centre of all the attention now? It’s none other than Mario Cristobal and his Miami Hurricanes. So much so that the CBS Sports analyst did not inch even for once before snubbing the two SEC powerhouses. However, they too had their first loss of the season. But what made the analyst root for the orange and green army?

Yes, we get it Alabama and Georgia fans; you are getting side-eye from everywhere! Maybe it’s time for you to pack your bags and come back stronger the next time. At least, analyst Danny Kanell feels so. He came up with something interesting on the CBS Sports podcast. There is a chart with the playoff trophy in the middle that reads “Danny Kanell’s CFP 12-Team Bracket.” Well, it came with a clause, “If the season ended today.” Sadly, DeBoer and Smart’s boys could not get themselves a place on the list. Like you, this also left the co-host surprised as she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “There’s a concern, a little SEC team I don’t see in this top-12. Where the heck is Georgia?” To which came Kanell’s confident reply.

“There’s a couple, no Alabama, no Georgia; because I actually like teams that win, and most importantly, don’t lose,” said the analyst. Well, that’s some big claim, isn’t it? But you can get it where Kanell comes from while holding this sour outlook. After all, nobody imagined DeBoer’s program would lose against Vanderbilt Commodores and Tennessee Volunteers. Similarly, the Bulldogs fell prey to programs like Ole Miss. You might ask that Cristobal’s Hurricanes too had their first loss against Georgia Tech, then how could the analyst just turn a blind eye? 

That’s when he said, “You know what about Miami, that loss was not a great loss, but it was not a horrific loss, we have seen some of these teams endure.” Plus, Cristobal’s signal-caller Cam Ward’s impressive stats of 300 yards passing and 3 touchdowns keep Miami’s playoff hopes alive for Kanell. On the flip side, looks like DeBoer and co. have always been in his bad books.  

Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama gets a side eye from the CBS reporter 

Well, there is no doubt that Alabama’s 2024 season has been a mixed bag. With only two top-25 wins that consisted of a major upset over No.2 Georgia, DeBoer’s tribe somehow lost from the pedestal that GOAT Nick Saban had helped them to reach over the period. So when asked about Kanell’s take on Alabama’s chances in the playoff, he got all sceptical.

He said, “I don’t think Bama has looked like a Playoff team, I don’t think their resume is deserving of a Playoff Spot.” Before Crimson Tide’s face-off against LSU Tigers he came up with another scenario, “If they do that (against LSU), I’ll give them a sliver of a chance (to make the playoff). But I don’t think their resume stacks up as good as anyone thinks.” Not only the program, but the analyst even reacted strongly to an Alabama player’s public apology.

During the Alabama vs Vanderbilt face-off, the Crimson Tide’s defensive back, Malachi Moore, had a meltdown but later apologized for his behaviour. That drew a strong response from Danny Kanell who tweeted, “Losing it in the heat of a game does not determine one’s character. Standing up and owning it does. I’d love to have this guy playing for me.” So, Kalen DeBoer better include a chapter on ‘How to be in the good books of CBS reporter Danny Kanell’ in their playbook for the next season!