Kalen DeBoer Gets Serious Warning as Calls Mount for Alabama to Pay Unthinkable Consequences

Turbulence. That’s what you’d describe as Kalen DeBoer‘s Year 2 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama opened the same sad way as they ended 2024 by losing to an unranked opponent. A 7-0 lead doesn’t save games. In the end, it’s a 31-17 stumble against Florida State. It’s the Tide’s first 0-1 start since 2001. It also marked four true road losses to Power Four opponents in two years. And right now, it’s Alabama looking like anything but Alabama. So you can guess, the anger isn’t quiet anymore. It’s public, loud, and growing. 

In a new episode on Josh Pate’s College Football Show on August 31, the national analyst made sure his words hit Alabama hard. “I woke up this morning. Against my better judgment, I pulled up my Twitter account and there it was. ‘FIRE KALEN DEBOER’ right there. First thing I saw, all caps,” Josh Pate said. But he also added his takeaway and a warning saying, “Even if they wanted to fire him, they can’t. And in no world should you be talking about firing Kalen DeBoer. However, it is serious gut check time for him and for that program.”

Then he piled more adding, “They were so bad yesterday above and beyond the obvious. They were bad at just having the baseline stuff that everyone should have.” From his POV, and literally everybody else’s, Bama is losing its identity. 

Effort. Tenacity. Killer instinct. Traits that used to define Alabama. Josh Pate argued those were missing, and the tape backed him up. Missed tackles, lazy pursuit, and defensive backs jogging while FSU receivers torched them. That’s a cultural collapse. And the thing is, the analyst picked Alabama to win the SEC. If even your supporters are torching you, the fire’s real. And this is where Kalen DeBoer’s seat gets hotter than a Tuscaloosa summer. You see, Nick Saban built an ecosystem of accountability. Players feared embarrassment in the film room more than losing on Saturday. Linebackers chased down plays 20 yards downfield, not because they wanted a stat, but because the standard demanded it. 

Josh Pate pointed out the obvious that standard doesn’t exist anymore. “If you put the kind of performance on tape that several of their defensive players put on tape yesterday under Nick Saban, you wouldn’t have to worry about what Florida State’s going to do to you,” he said. “You would not have to worry about what your coaches are going to do to you. You would have to worry about what your teammates were going to do to you. And I’m not sure that fear exists on that team.”

Also, Kalen DeBoer can’t use the rebuild excuse. Nick Saban left him a playoff-caliber roster and a recruiting class ranked in the top five. This wasn’t Bowden’s decaying FSU or Paterno’s fading Penn State. And if culture and effort were the warning lights, the next glaring red flag came from the sideline. 

Kalen DeBoer outcoached and outmaneuvered

Mike Norvell came into this game with his own critics. FSU fans were restless after inconsistency and whispers about his long-term fit. But in a head-to-head with Kalen DeBoer, he looked like the genius. The Seminoles’ offensive line slid protections with ease, neutralizing Alabama’s vaunted pass rush. Their receivers found soft spots in coverage all night, while Bama’s staff kept looking down at their call sheets like the answers might magically appear.

The Ryan Grubb reunion was supposed to be Kalen DeBoer’s ace card. The Washington duo was billed as offensive innovators who could keep Alabama’s machine humming. Instead, the Tide’s offense looked sluggish and predictable. Seventeen points. Barely 300 total yards. For Alabama, that’s regression. Meanwhile, FSU unveiled Gus Malzahn’s fingerprints all over their attack. Motion, misdirection, and a tempo that left Alabama gasping for air. It was a masterclass of fresh energy versus stale familiarity. 

For Kalen DeBoer, that contrast stings. He brought in his guys to recreate magic, and instead, it looks like déjà vu of last year’s flat showings. And then there’s the schedule. South Carolina and Missouri are tricky but winnable. Tennessee is unpredictable. Georgia and LSU? Brutal. Alabama has to go at least 4-1 in that stretch to keep playoff hopes alive. Go 3-2 and you’re 9-3, which might buy him time but won’t silence critics. Go 2-3 or worse, it’s uncomfortable to think about what would happen. The warning couldn’t be clearer. At Alabama, the SEC schedule is a firing squad if you’re not ready.