With his job security questioned and rumors of a move to Michigan swirling, Kalen DeBoer’s win over Oklahoma was less a victory and more an act of survival. With a first-round 34-24 win, Alabama finally showed its real potential. Now, the victory steadies DeBoer’s footing, but the Michigan scare still lingers in his locker room. But DeBoer isn’t letting rumors define their win.

“This group is tight enough that there’s never been any finger-pointing,” Alabama’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer, told the media after Oklahoma’s game.

The win over Oklahoma brought stability to DeBoer’s tenure with the program. The buzz about him getting on the hot seat was intensifying before the game. From losing to Florida State and then eventually losing the SEC title game to Georgia, DeBoer’s job had always been under scrutiny.

On top of it, Nick Saban’s uncertain remarks, “Maybe they can get him to Michigan. I don’t know,” added another layer to DeBoer’s move to Michigan.

However, that’s no longer the case. Now that he has won, he is expected to remain focused on playoff preparation rather than being distracted by outside noise, which he had already cleared up after denying rumors of his move to Michigan.

But DeBoer’s locker room remained locked in on their game against Oklahoma, just like he said. The moment the speculation started growing, Alabama’s players also became vocal about their stance.

His players echoed that sentiment, with receiver Ryan Williams stating the team focuses on the ‘internal,’ a view shared by teammates Wilkin Formby and Yhonzae Pierre, who both dismissed the rumors as a distraction.

To ensure Kalen DeBoer remains with the team, Alabama’s athletic director, Greg Byrne, and other officials are “aggressively” working towards a new deal. Nothing was finalized before Oklahoma’s kickoff, but now the officials already have a reason to give him an impressive extension like Indiana’s Curt Cignetti and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko.

Kalen DeBoer has already signed an eight-year contract with Alabama that runs through 2031, and this season, he earned $10.25 million.

As Alabama moves to lock down DeBoer for the foreseeable future, Michigan must turn its attention elsewhere in its search for a new head coach.

Kalen DeBoer’s Michigan odds near end

Sherrone Moore’s with-cause firing has forced Michigan to look for a new coach in this tight coaching scenario. With Kalen DeBoer’s chances slipping, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham becomes the next favorite for them as he emerges as the betting favorite to land the Michigan head coaching job, according to Kalshi.

Notably, Dillingham’s impressive resume makes him a perfect fit for Michigan, as he compiled a 22-16 record at Arizona State in three years with a fantastic 11-3 campaign. Then he led Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and college football playoff berth last season.

Even this year, despite injuries limiting quarterback Sam Leavitt’s time, they went 8-4, reinforcing his dominance. But there’s a high chance that Dillingham might not make a move. After an eight-win season, he already received a $200k raise and an extension until December 31, 2031, making his salary $6 million.

So, if Michigan really wants him, they need to invest heavily in him.

With the transfer portal about to open up, let’s wait and see how long it takes for Michigan to secure its new head coach.