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Fox Sports
5 days ago
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2025 College Football Odds: Why Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Will Reach 10 Wins
College Football 2025 College Football Odds: Why Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Will Reach 10 Wins Published Aug. 13, 2025 6:43 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Alabama's 2024 season? It was somewhat shaky. With that, bettors might be wondering if they should roll with the Tide to go Over 9.5 wins in 2025 or if they should back the Under. Let's break it down. Last year was head coach Kalen DeBoer's first season at Alabama, and he produced a 9-3 record. All three losses were in conference and on the road. The Tide were able to beat Georgia by seven and got two blowout wins against LSU and Missouri. Overall, it was a respectable first season for the new head coach, but it was a year full of uneven play, mental mistakes and sloppiness that we hadn't seen at Alabama under Nick Saban. Still, there's no cause for concern for me heading into 2025 because of DeBoer's track record. DeBoer spent nine years as a head coach between NAIA Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington before being hired as Alabama's head coach in January 2024. He succeeded the legendary Saban after he retired. At Sioux Falls, DeBoer went 11-2 in his first season before going 56-1 in the next four seasons with three national championships. He then took over Fresno State during the 2020 COVID-19 year and went 3-3. Throw that year away. He went 9-3 the following season before being hired by Washington. DeBoer went 25-3 in his two seasons at UW, losing in the national title game to Michigan to end the 2023 season. That's 104-12 as a head coach before heading to Alabama. He can coach and I expect a better product from the Tide this season. A hallmark of a DeBoer team is a sensational offense. Explosive. Attacking. Multiple. That is not what we saw at times from the Tide in 2024, so DeBoer hired back Ryan Grubb to run the offense. Grubb was the OC at Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington with DeBoer. Can Ryan Grubb help get the Tide's offense rolling? ADVERTISEMENT At Washington, Grubb produced one of the best passing offenses in the sport with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line and a group of NFL receivers. While we are unsure if he's got a Heisman-capable quarterback, the Tide's offensive line is one of the best in the country, and Alabama has the skill position players to rival those at Washington. Now, let's talk about the starting QB, Ty Simpson. Simpson is more in the mold of Penix than he is Jalen Milroe, who started for the Tide last season. Simpson is tall and will operate a passing game from the pocket with more efficiency, while being less likely to run or use his legs. That pairs with the offense Grubb and DeBoer ran at Washington. While it might take some time for the offense to get humming at the pace it would like, I trust this staff and Alabama's talented players to get it done. Now, let's look at the defense. The Bama D was not what we'd seen under Saban, but that should surprise no one. The Tide lost a defensive genius and some of their better players hit the portal. The defense was far better at the end of the season than it was in the beginning, which is something important to note. Alabama returns 69% of its defensive production, including multiple defensive linemen. The linebacker room is down Jihaad Campbell, but it has plenty of experience, plus the addition of Nikhai Hill Green from Colorado. The secondary returns five players who have starting experience. In short, this roster might be the most talented in the SEC. The Tide have recruited well after DeBoer's shaky start. The schedule is manageable. Alabama should beat Florida State and Wisconsin in the non-conference, and it is at Georgia after a bye. Alabama also doesn't play Texas or Texas A&M. I'd roll with Alabama going Over 9.5 wins. PICK: Alabama Over 9.5 wins Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! What did you think of this story? share
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Alabama football OL win Joe Moore Award? Four questions after 2025 SEC media days
Talking season commenced from Atlanta on July 16 with Kalen DeBoer, Tim Keenan III, Deontae Lawson and Kadyn Proctor each sharing expectations for what Alabama football could do in 2025. With SEC media days complete for the Crimson Tide, and fall camp approaching quickly, which storylines remain? Here are four Alabama football questions that emerged from SEC media days. Once Alabama football names QB starter, how long of a leash will he have? Whenever DeBoer was asked about the Alabama quarterback battle, he exuded confidence. He proved to be extremely complimentary of Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, sharing how each has grown heading into fall. Despite the inexperience of the room, and despite the lack of game reps, DeBoer is assured that Alabama has always had its next leader of the Crimson Tide offense, not turning to the NCAA transfer portal to secure a rental for the 2025 season. And as he spoke about the battle, DeBoer seemed to give an indication about what would happen once a starting quarterback is officially named. 'That's where consistency, continuity, them being comfortable with Ryan Grubb, Nick Sheridan, Mitch Dahlen, senior analyst on our staff, myself. Them knowing that we believe in you,' DeBoer said. 'Just be you, go out there and don't try to do too much. Just go execute what you're supposed to.' DeBoer and his Alabama staff will obviously show trust in whoever is named the starter. But could this statement indicate that the Crimson Tide won't be too quick to pull the trigger if its starting quarterback struggles out of the gate? Time will tell. Can Alabama have a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line? When Keenan committed to Alabama, he knew he would be challenged up front. The defensive lineman feels the exact same way heading into Year 5 against the Crimson Tide's offensive line. 'Going against guys like those guys, they're hard workers, they're strong, fast,' Keenan said. 'It's something to see.' When Kadyn Proctor, the consistent 2026 NFL mock draft first-round pick, talks about his upcoming season with the Crimson Tide offensive line, it's never in the context of what he can personally do. It's always about the collective. And the unit's sights are set high. 'The Joe Moore Award is definitely something that we want to win,' Proctor said. 'That's really not personal. That's all of us. I want to see the whole offensive line succeed.' Since the award's inception in 2015, given to the best offensive line in college football, Alabama has won twice: 2015 and 2020. If the Crimson Tide wins in 2025, it would be the first team to win it three times. Can the group of Proctor, Wilkin Formby, Jaeden Roberts, Parker Brailsford and, likely, either Geno VanDeMark and Kam Dewberry be the group to make history? Can Alabama defense bring pressure? DeBoer has high expectations for his defense as a whole. But he wants a level of pressure up front to match Alabama's ball-hawk reputation in the secondary. It's not just pressure from blitzes or from more players at the line of scrimmage either. It's pressure solely brought from athleticism. And DeBoer feels he has the pieces to do it. 'I think guys like LT Overton jump out with me,' DeBoer said. 'LT was there a lot last year. Those are the next steps you want to take. Not just he, but a lot of guys finishing the plays. LT has it in him, the skillset. He has those instincts. Continues to hone in on taking it to the next level.' To develop that pressure, Keenan said it comes down to players trusting their coaching, to 'do what we know to do' from Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach. '(Roach is) going to get on your tail, now. Ain't no slacking, but it's all about the love,' Keenan said. 'He wants you to have that generational wealth. He wants you to be the best player ever and be that dominant force.' Does Alabama have a special teams problem? DeBoer has answers for both Alabama's offense and defense heading into the 2025 season. When it comes to special teams, the Crimson Tide coach did not sugarcoat things. 'That's the tricky one,' DeBoer said. Alabama is tasked with replacing its kicker, punter and long snapper from the 2024 team. While Conor Talty, Alabama's kickoff man from 2024, is set to slide into replace Graham Nicholson, DeBoer said he still has questions about who will replace James Burnip, 'the best punter I have ever had.' Heading into fall, Alabama will have true freshman Alex Asparuhov, who spent the spring rehabbing an injury, and Colorado School of Mines transfer Blake Doud battling for the starting punting job. Special teams consistency could be a main storyline that could make or break Alabama in 2025. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@ or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Four Alabama football questions after 2025 SEC media days
