Nobody in the entire FBS had a more impressive bounce-back than the Alabama Crimson Tide. After taking their first loss of the season in the opener against Mike Norvell’s Florida State, Kalen DeBoer’s squad decided, “this isn’t going to cut it.” They immediately flipped the mindset and went on a seven-game winning streak including four consecutive wins against ranked opponents. That dominant stretch even had Paul Finebaum saying surreal things about DeBoer and snubbed No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers while at it.

On October 27, College football’s biggest critic, Paul Finebaum, pulled up to Harbert Center for the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and gave DeBoer his biggest praise yet: “I think when it comes to Kalen DeBoer, I think the majority of us were wrong. I mean, it was very difficult after watching the Florida State game. We go, okay, things are great. I think losing a game is not acceptable by a lot of standards..But I will say to the contrary, what few of the origin staff have done since that opening weekend alone, and absolutely the best jobs I’ve ever seen, the Georgia game, to believe it, but I believe it now.” Heading into this season, Paul Finebaum wasn’t heavy on Alabama like he was on the Texas Longhorns; however, fast forward to 8 weeks of college football, Kalen DeBoer literally made a believer out of Paul Finebaum.

After a rough start and a Week 1 loss to Florida State, the Tide has been on a serious heater. They silenced the naysayers with a huge six-game winning streak, which included an unprecedented four-game run of beating ranked opponents.

The Tide’s wins were nothing but a statement. Kalen DeBoer took down the then-undefeated Georgia on the road with a gritty 24-21 win, proving they still own and run the SEC. Next, they easily handled the top 10-ranked Vanderbilt at home, with a 30-14 victory. Their Linsanity run continued on the road against No. 10 Missouri, where they clinched a tough 27-24 win. They cashed off the four-game ranked stretch with a dominant 37-20 home win over No. 11 Tennessee.

Alabama’s character was also tested against South Carolina in a 29–22 come-from-behind victory. The wins were so impressive that Paul Finebaum argued even No. 2-ranked Indiana couldn’t have survived that stretch: “I think Indiana is very dominant. They’re extremely good, but they came against Oregon. I’d like to see Indiana go through what Alabama has faced in the last five weeks — they would not be undefeated.”

According to Finebaum, while Indiana has had a fantastic 2025 season and played great football, they simply weren’t tested like Alabama. The Hoosiers’ schedule was much easier, with only one comparable ranked matchup against Oregon, which they narrowly won 30–20. Alabama, on the other hand, survived four straight ranked opponents without a bye week. All thanks to Kalen DeBoer.

Alabama’s chances of making the playoff?

After beating South Carolina, Alabama is in a great position for the College Football Playoff. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, the Crimson Tide has a 93% chance of making the playoffs. They are one of only four teams with a 90% or higher chance. The others are Indiana, Texas A&M, and Ohio State. This shows how strong Alabama has been this season and how close they are to securing one of the top spots.

If both Alabama and Texas A&M keep winning their conference games, they could meet in the SEC Championship game. That matchup would likely have big playoff implications and could decide seeding for the postseason. Alabama’s recent consistency and improvement have kept them in control of their own destiny as the season moves toward its most important stretch.

Now, Alabama gets a much-needed break with a bye week, giving players time to rest and recover. After the break, they’ll face LSU, then a tough Oklahoma team, followed by an easier game against Eastern Illinois. The regular season will end with the Iron Bowl at Auburn, Kalen DeBoer’s first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium as Alabama’s head coach. It’s a challenging road ahead, but Alabama’s confidence and current position put them in a strong spot to finish the season successfully.