With the team’s third defeat, a 24-3 setback to unranked Oklahoma, Kalen DeBoer’s first season at Alabama came to a sad end and effectively eliminated them from the College Football Playoffs. 
This year’s performance marks the first time Alabama has suffered three regular-season defeats since 2010, and the team has already experienced historic lows, including a devastating loss to Vanderbilt. They are currently 9-3.
DeBoer has important choices to make, especially in selecting a replacement quarterback because Jalen Milroe is probably leaving for the NFL and evaluating the coaching staff after a year of inconsistent play.
The Florida defence held firm at The Swamp, halting Ole Miss twice on fourth down in the red zone and recording back-to-back interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Auburn opted to stop beating themselves on the Plains and used the momentum they had gained to mount the drive they needed to force overtime in the fourth quarter.
Alabama’s troubles began with the first offensive snap, a run by quarterback Jalen Milroe that resulted in a one-yard gain after tight end CJ Dippre missed a block. The rest of the evening was characterised by disorganisation, missed blocks, no gain, and no replies, all of which were there in that first offensive play.
The defence faced the same problems on the other side of the ball; they were unconfident, out of position, and, with the exception of a forced turnover on the Sooners’ second drive, spent the remainder of the first half trailing.
With a strategy that was a near exact replica of Vanderbilt’s and the kitchen sink added for good measure, Oklahoma came into the game prepared. It appeared as though Alabama had forgotten all of the things they had learnt during the previous three weeks.
It was a defeat that went against Alabama’s customs. Where was Nick Saban’s Process? Where was Bear Bryant’s attitude of “I can take mine and beat yours” or “Take yours and beat mine”? How was Alabama so unprepared for Oklahoma?
There was more to the incapacity to adapt than playcalling. The offensive line appeared to be studying safety blitzes and stunts up front in real time.
The ABC telecast repeatedly showed Milroe’s face being crushed by pressure. While guards and tackles doubled or triple-teamed defensive linemen, free rushers with a lot of energy tackled running backs.
On defence, injuries were a factor. It hurt to lose linebacker Deontae Lawson. Lawson is the Alabama defense’s mental leader in addition to being a gap plugger in the running game.
Alabama’s total lack of preparation for Oklahoma’s ball-running is not explained by Lawson’s departure. The Crimson Tide held the Sooners to 52 yards in the second half after making some adjustments. However, the stuttering offence was put under additional pressure by the spaghetti strainer first-half run defence.
Based on the Data
For the first time since 2010, Alabama suffered a three-game loss during the regular season.
Alabama’s biggest loss against an unranked team since 1998 came in the 24-3 loss.
Yes, but it’s crucial to understand the difficulties of taking on such a demanding post after Nick Saban, even though DeBoer is under criticism after a difficult season. Many anticipated increasing pains, thus a complete revamp that ignores all the variables affecting team effectiveness may be too hurried.
Situation of the Game
As he considers entering the NFL draft, Jalen Milroe’s future remains unclear.
Despite having experienced expertise, the offensive line struggled greatly and fell short of expectations.
Next Steps
Finding a qualified quarterback to guide the squad the following season will have to be DeBoer’s top priority. Regaining competitiveness requires hiring impact players through the transfer portal and making changes to the coaching staff.
The bottom line
Addressing quarterback difficulties and properly assessing coaching efficacy are DeBoer’s most important tasks ahead. To properly use Alabama’s talent and stop further performance drops, a strategic change is required.
