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Do you think DeBoer improved not only himself but the program in year two?

Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:26 am
Posted by NWLA_Bama
Member since Aug 2024
1290 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:26 am
We've completed two full regular seasons with DeBoer at the helm. In year one we lost three games we shouldn't have (Vandy, OU, Michigan) and finished 9-3 in the regular season, 9-4 overall.

In year two we lost one regular season game were not supposed to, but won 10 games in the regular season and made the conference title game.

*I know some say we weren't "supposed" to lose the OU game but they were a legitimate contender this season and not considered a "gimmie" game like last season*

Posted by bamatide07
Member since Jan 2019
5509 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:32 am to
I just hope that the FSU game doesn’t come back to bite us in the end if we lose to Georgia this weekend.
Posted by CID 310
Heart of Dixie
Member since Feb 2009
617 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:32 am to
Any reasonable fan would have to say he proved himself. A 10-2 record and a spot in the SECCG are commendable. If you'd have told most of us in July that we'd beat all of our rivals and ended up in the CG, most of us would be happy.
Posted by Ten Bears
Florida
Member since Oct 2018
4705 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:34 am to
Conventional wisdom says the second year sees the most improvement, but whoever wrote that never had to play a schedule like we just played.
Posted by UASports23
Basketball School
Member since Nov 2009
25827 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:35 am to
Yes. Happy with the progression. Anyone who thought DeBoer or any other coach wouldn’t have a drop off is a retard.

Of course you are going to have a drop off after replacing the GOAT.

Recruiting has been strong. 10 wins and in the conference championship is legit. It hasn’t been perfect this year but Ole Miss just had their best year in what 60 years and still haven’t made a SECCG.

LSU is paid a shite ton for a coach that hasn’t been or won shite.
Posted by Diego Ricardo
Alabama
Member since Dec 2020
11280 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:36 am to
quote:

*I know some say we weren't "supposed" to lose the OU game but they were a legitimate contender this season and not considered a "gimmie" game like last season*



In abstract, you're right. However the way that game played out is tough to swallow. I feel like Alabama needed to be more conservative on offense in that game. Our aggression gave Oklahoma too many points and it cost us the game. LSU almost sprang the upset in Norman with a bad quarterback because Oklahoma is very average if you don't let their defense score or set their deficient offense up with bunny layups. LSU really didn't try to take many risks in that game. I think if Alabama played closer to the vest, threw the ball less, and threw it in almost risk-less ways when they did...Alabama grinds out a 17-10 type win that no one would have been thrilled about but we'd be 11-1 now with no risk of being out of the field due to the SECCG.
Posted by Sandkhan
Hells and Wilderness, Northeast MS
Member since Jun 2009
6825 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:42 am to
5-1 against rivals. SECCG #1 seed. 2nd straight great recruiting class.

Last year wasn’t bad either in retrospect if you account for the turmoil and QB situation.
Posted by Bama Bird
Pittsburgh, PA
Member since Mar 2013
22600 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:43 am to
quote:

Yes. Happy with the progression. Anyone who thought DeBoer or any other coach wouldn’t have a drop off is a retard.



If we're being honest, the drop off was coming anyway. Development in the final years of Saban was nonexistent and the rumored "Bama bump" in recruiting turned out to be very real. I do feel like we've started to right that track but it can be frustrating for sure

I guess what I mean is that when everyone compares DeBoer to Saban, they're comparing this year to 2012 or 2018 and ignoring everything that happened 2021-23
This post was edited on 12/1/25 at 8:45 am
Posted by Hawaiian Punch
Member since Jan 2018
959 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:46 am to
quote:

*I know some say we weren't "supposed" to lose the OU game but they were a legitimate contender this season and not considered a "gimmie" game like last season*


The OU game last year was a pathetic effort across the board, from the coaches all the way down. DeBoer did not have them prepared whatsoever for that game and we got our shite pushed in from whistle to whistle with everything on the line.

The loss against OU this year sucks for sure. No way should we have lost that game - except for turning the ball over 3x at the most inopportune points in the game. But outside of the turnovers, we dominated OU on the stat sheet. I feel like the coaching staff (outside of the last drive/last 7 minutes of play) had us prepared and in position to win the game this year, but execution on the field just wasn’t there. We had so many chances to put that game away and we just never could get a bounce to go our way.

So yes, I do believe DeBoer and the program have improved from Yr 1 to Yr 2. If Ty was able to maintain his play from the earlier part of the season across the entire schedule, this wouldn’t even be a question. But the offense has noticeably regressed over the month of November.
Posted by 11and18gggchamp
Tuscaloosa, Al
Member since Jan 2021
1940 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:48 am to
I think most areas have seen an improvement. Defense, overall game coaching, recruiting, wins against a very tough schedule, SEC champ game. But the offense has regressed (not blaming anyone specific) as well as Special Teams. We can't run the ball very well, downfield passing is an issue, and the punter and fg kicker are inconsistent.

Overall I'd say a small improvement.
Posted by Robot Santa
Member since Oct 2009
46011 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:50 am to
Yeah, that's probably fair to say. There are still a lot of issues with playing to the level of our competition and randomly showing up looking completely unprepared, but 10 wins and making it to Atlanta is a successful season based on the schedule we had. We were generally a lot tougher on defense and outside of the OU game did a good job of limiting turnovers compared to last season.

My biggest reservation about DeBoer at this point, beyond the aforementioned random bed shittings against horrible teams like 2024 OU and 2025 FSU, is that the only way we've been able to generate a functional run game over the course of 2 seasons is having a RB lead block for Milroe in a modified wildcat/wing-T offense. That's never going to cut it if you want to win at the level you need to win at to keep this job for long.
Posted by UASports23
Basketball School
Member since Nov 2009
25827 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:54 am to
I’ve always said CKD needs a minimum of three years to truly validate.

I think that still rings true. I think Saban did a good to great job with the team his last year but his coaching staff was getting weak and so was his coaching. He went out at the perfect time.

OL/DL struggles were there for awhile. Losing multiple games with a loaded roster with Bryce Young/Will Anderson Jr. is nothing but a HUGE failure in coaching.

The sad thing is folks don’t ever zoom out wide enough and get caught up in the minutiae.

Some of the “best” hires right now are coaches that haven’t earned anything. I think James Franklin is a “Home Run” for VTech. He can’t beat ranked teams.

Golesh is a “home run” for Auburn but hasn’t won shite.

Lane is a “home run” for LSU but he just leaves whenever it’s convenient for him. He hasn’t been to even a SECCG. Let’s not forget Coach Saban told him to kick rocks and didn’t let him coach a Natl Championship game.

Ryan Day was almost ran out of Columbus after losing 5 straight to Michigan only to turn around and on the verge of back-to-back natties.

Saban for a very long time was almost a perfect coach. There aren’t perfect coaches out there regularly. Everyone is flawed.
Posted by Granola
Member since Jan 2024
1895 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:55 am to
This year got off to a rocky start, but they changed the momentum of the season. Beating UGA in Athens was spectacular. If we win the SEC, don't know how anybody would complain. After all, he is following the Goat.
Posted by Diego Ricardo
Alabama
Member since Dec 2020
11280 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 8:59 am to
quote:

Do you think DeBoer improved not only himself but the program in year two?


I realized I didn't really answer the question:

Well, he went from 9-4, missing the SECCG, missing the CFP to 10-2, in the SECCG, and CFP berth pending circumstances both in and out of our control depending on SECCG result.

I think there is too much left to be decided to make a full analysis. However, I predicted 9-3 in the preseason and he went 10-2 but with a loss I did not have penciled in on the ledger.

The inability to maintain game control is my continued frustration with this staff. I can't say the players aren't mentally tough because they've gritted out some wins that seemed to be on the razor edge of falling towards defeat. The intangibles are there and that's huge. The execution is the problem. Both on the field and from the play callers. We've had too many moments where a coordinator is telling their players "on me" after a big frick up. We've had too many assignments blown in moments where a massive assignment screw up is the one thing that could get momentum going on the opponent's sideline. We have been both an incredibly clutch and paradoxically anti-clutch team in 2025.

The non-results driven analysis is this is a better team than 2024. They've made more plays in moments where they really need them. 2024 team simply did not. We only had one game where it looked like the players were unprepared for the opponent and it was an opener where the opponent had two new coordinators and a largely new team pulled out of the portal. I think the staff was simply poorly prepared for how FSU was going to deploy what each of their coordinators are known for doing. Not a good excuse but at least it is not perplexing how it happened.
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
4728 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:06 am to
quote:

We have been both an incredibly clutch and paradoxically anti-clutch team in 2025.


Profound and in the bullseye.
Posted by remaster916
Alabama
Member since Oct 2012
13003 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:06 am to
No, not until he stops losing to bad teams.

2024 should have been a 11-1 season with a SEC Championship Game appearance and playoff appearance.

This year should have been a 11-1 season. He did make a SEC Championship Game appearance and the playoffs seem likely.


So far he has not met expectations.
Posted by remaster916
Alabama
Member since Oct 2012
13003 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:13 am to
quote:

I think Saban did a good to great job with the team his last year


That was Saban's best coaching job since 2008.

With Milroe at QB, Alabama went 12-2, 9-0 against SEC teams, won the West Title, won a SEC Championship, made the playoffs, was one decent center away from another national championship.

Saban made the offensive coaches design the offense around Milroe and it paid off.
This post was edited on 12/1/25 at 9:14 am
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
4728 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:17 am to
quote:

Anyone who thought DeBoer or any other coach wouldn’t have a drop off is a retard. Of course you are going to have a drop off after replacing the GOAT.


Fully agree, but you had so many people coming in here screaming that Saban won the league and went to the final four with Milroe at QB in 2023 so that was the expectation for DeBoer, absolutely refusing to accept that if not for the greatest coaching job the GOAT probably ever did and a whole lot of luck including an absolute extract it from our anuses miracle in Auburn, that could easily have been an 8-win team that didn’t even go to Atlanta.

If we fix the running game, we are going to be hellacious in 2026. And fixing it has nothing to do with play calling and schemes. It’s going to take opening the checkbook and hard recruiting to get some elite backs and some athletic linemen.

Posted by angryslugs
Member since Apr 2008
11338 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:18 am to
Yes, absolutely. Hopefully we progress next year to developing a killer instinct and start putting teams away.
Posted by tide06
Member since Oct 2011
20140 posts
Posted on 12/1/25 at 9:29 am to
quote:

In year one we lost three games we shouldn't have (Vandy, OU, Michigan)

Depends on how good you think we were last year.

I personally don't believe we were as good last year as many other posters might.

We were 32nd in opponent adjusted YPP and 21st in defensive YPP. The defense was far better at 10 than it sometime appeared, but the offense once the book was out on how to stop us was abysmal.

Should we have beaten OU? Probably, but when your QB play collapses beyond a certain point nothing else matters and anything can happen.

The fair question is why we didn't bench Milroe, but I don't think Ty was ready and I'm not sure KD could do it if he wanted to due to team dynamics.

Bottom line, we should be incredibly pleased with 10-2 this year because I just don't think we're anywhere close to where we used to be due to injury and OL issues and are winning with smoke and mirrors mostly at the moment.
This post was edited on 12/1/25 at 11:44 am
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