Bama vs. unranked teams? History says it’s cursed. Alabama’s 29-22 win over South Carolina wasn’t the statement victory fans hoped for. It was another uneasy reminder of a pattern that refuses to fade. Once again, Kalen DeBoer’s team teetered with disaster against an unranked opponent, barely holding on after nearly letting the game slip late. For a program built on dominance, these narrow escapes against “easier” SEC teams are quickly becoming the Crimson Tide’s biggest curse.

During the Yahoo Sports College Football Enquirer podcast, Andy Staples pointedly remarked, “I just think Alabama needs to play playoff teams every week.” His co-host Ross Dellinger agreed, laughing before adding, “It seems to be the case.” Their conversation highlighted a growing Bama pattern of rising for giants but stumbling against shadows.

As Alabama prepared to face unranked LSU next, Staples dropped the punchline every Tide fan dreaded. “When you’ve got to play a team that’s going to go six and six, you’re in deep trouble.” The irony wasn’t lost on fans. The Tide, 22-point favorites against South Carolina, barely scraped by. Steven Godfrey put it bluntly: “Do you think there’s just weird fits? Because Alabama struggled against South Carolina last year, and we don’t know how representative that was.” He went on to say, “What Nick Saban used to do… where every game felt the same [it] is really hard to do. Most coaches can’t replicate that.” DeBoer’s Alabama is yet to have that magic touch.

The pattern isn’t new. In 2024, the Tide suffered shocking losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, both unranked, both games in which Alabama was heavily favored. Those missteps likely cost them a College Football Playoff berth. Now, as DeBoer’s team prepares for another matchup against an unranked LSU, the anxiety lingers. Can Alabama keep its focus when the spotlight dims?

Still, amid all the criticism, DeBoer struck a defiant tone after Saturday’s comeback.

Kalen DeBoer’s thoughts after the win

It wasn’t pretty, but it sure was gritty. Trailing the Gamecocks 22-14 with just 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bama looked like it might stumble again against an unranked opponent. But when it mattered most, the Tide rose.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson led a gutsy 14-play drive, finishing it off with a short TD pass to Germie Bernard. It tied the game at 22. Moments later, Alabama’s defense came up huge. They forced a fumble, and that flipped the script. Bernard struck again, this time from 25 yards out, sealing a thrilling comeback win.

That’s why in the postgame conference, DeBoer admitted, “We didn’t separate ourselves the way I’d like. In fact, we fell behind. But knowing that we scored a lot of points over the course of the year … all you need is one touchdown drive.” That one drive made all the difference.

Now sitting second in the conference, Alabama heads into a crucial stretch with home games against LSU and Oklahoma, eyeing a clear path to the playoff. Given that, DeBoer said, “It’s the resiliency piece. It’s ‘leave it all on the football field and have no regrets.’ And that’s the way I want our guys living, and I want our guys playing.” But the end of the season will reveal this squad’s true resilience.