A blockbuster series between two of college football’s premier powerhouses is on the verge of collapse. And the team backing out is the one no one would ever expect: Alabama. Even though there are no confirmed call-offs, a former NFL player came in to give his two cents about the matter.

According to former NFL TE George Wrighster III, such a move would damage Alabama’s reputation, as he warned them not to duck the smoke and to act like it.

“I never thought I would see the day that Alabama would do something that Texas fans were just screaming and crying about this year, and that is cancel on Ohio State,” former Jacksonville legendary TE George Wrighster III said on The Unafraid Show. “We’ve heard from Paul Finebaum.

We’ve heard from other Alabama sources that Alabama is thinking about cancelling the 2027 and 2028 non-conference games versus Ohio State, and you know why? Because they’re scared. The loss might hurt us. When you are a big-name team, and you lose to a big-name team, it can actually help you.”

Ohio State and Alabama’s home-and-home series began in 2020, with games scheduled for September 18, 2027, and September 9, 2028, in Tuscaloosa. It was mainly to host the Bucks’ first regular-season meetings with the Crimson Tide. But now, Kalen DeBoer’s team probably feels a bit more optimistic, possibly easing the fears that Steve Sarkisian mentioned.

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Paul Finebaum fueled speculation on The Fan show, expressing his doubts about Alabama’s game against Ohio State. Their athletic director, Greg Byrne, is already under pressure amid Kalen DeBoer’s constant backlash. So, losing against Ohio State and missing the playoffs is the last thing they want for the program. This fear of a high-profile non-conference loss isn’t unique to Alabama. Just last season, a similar situation unfolded with Texas.

Despite suffering a terrible loss to Ohio State, the Texas Longhorns didn’t receive a playoff spot. They didn’t receive a spot because of their three losses during the season. That enraged Steve Sarkisian, and he was on the verge of canceling their series. So, this instability is forcing programs to rethink the high risk these non-conference games bring for them.

However, one rule might stop them from taking this significant step. Notably, Alabama can’t just cancel or replace them with easier opponents under the new SEC guidelines. However, new SEC guidelines require Alabama to play at least one Power Four opponent each season. It means they would have to replace Ohio State with a similarly formidable team, not a more comfortable one.

On top of that, even Ohio State’s former linebacker Bobby Carpenter denies all the rumors on his show. The game lives on, and it won’t get cut off.

“I did a radio hit yesterday with a friend of mine who lives down in Tuscaloosa; he does radio down there for Alabama, super tied to the program,” Carpenter says. “He told me ‘he hadn’t heard yet that there was going to be any cancellation’ of this for the Bama vs. Ohio State series, which starts, I believe, in 2027 and 2028 with home and home.”

With all the rumors of cancellation dying down, it seems like DeBoer’s catching momentum, hoping to sprinkle some magic in Alabama.

Kalen DeBoer’s hot seat buzz gains momentum

The 2025 season saw massive chaos in coaching changes, with more than 10 head coaches losing their jobs from September to December. But now, with the 2026 season about to start in six months, Kalen DeBoer’s back in the hot seat.

DeBoer entered Alabama with a lot of hype and doubts. In his first season, he lost to Vanderbilt for the first time in 40 years. Alabama missed the playoffs and the championship games. In 2025, they suffered their first loss to Florida State. They then won four ranked games over Vanderbilt, Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee, but momentum slowed against Georgia and Indiana in the playoffs.

If Kalen DeBoer actually wants to hold his grip on Alabama, he has to avoid shocking losses to underdog teams. Otherwise, he might be the one bidding goodbye to Bama this season.