CBS Sports predicts Alabama football postseason and CFP fate in Year 2 under Kalen DeBoer
Alabama's only playoff misses came after their loss to Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium at the close of the 2019 regular season, when the Crimson Tide lost twice in three games at Tennessee and LSU in 2022, and last season when they suffered three regular-season losses for the first time since the BCS era in 2010.
With the CFP expanded to 12 teams for the second year in a row, don't look for Alabama to miss the playoffs again in Year 2 under coach Kalen DeBoer, CBS Sports says. In the outlet's preseason bowl projections ahead of the 2025 season, analyst Brad Crawford laid out his prediction for where the Crimson Tide will be in the postseason picture by December.
Crawford has Alabama in a first-round CFP matchup against projected Mountain West champion Boise State at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 19 or 20. Alabama was the No. 6 seed in the playoff in Crawford's projections on Thursday.
"Here's the rare buy-low opportunity on the Crimson Tide after Alabama's lackluster close to Kalen DeBoer's first campaign. The offseason hire of Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator is being undersold nationally, and if the Crimson Tide get explosive production out of Ty Simpson at quarterback as a result, this is a team worthy of being in the middle of the national title conversation." --Brad Crawford, CBS Sports.
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Penn State was the No. 6 seed in last year's playoff and reached the CFP semifinals before a close loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Alabama finished 9-4 and ended the year with a loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.
Alabama is ranked No. 8 in both the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll. The Crimson Tide open the season at Florida State on Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
Alabama football schedule 2025
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