“He hasn't commanded the stage”: Paul Finebaum goes on a blunt rant about Kalen DeBoer’s leadership
When Kalen DeBoer took over the Alabama Crimson Tide after Nick Saban retired in January, there was always going to be a change in leadership qualities. The program has not had a different voice in almost 20 years, so naturally, things were going to be different.
During On3's "Andy & Ari" podcast on Thursday, SEC Network's Paul Finebaum did not hold back on how he feels about DeBoer's leadership.
"He hasn't commanded the stage very well," Finebaum said. "I've been to Alabama twice in about two weeks now and there's a level of impatience with him... His demeanor on the sidelines bugs people, his lack of discipline, some of the things that he says and does, his coaching staff has not won well. It's really going to come down to next week."
Next week, the Alabama Crimson Tide will go on the road and take on the LSU Tigers. That game is going to mean a lot in terms of the Crimson Tide's ability to compete for the SEC Championship this season as they sit on a 6-2 (3-2 SEC) record entering their Week 10 open week.
Will the Alabama Crimson Tide make the College Football Playoff?
The Alabama Crimson Tide are sixth in the SEC standings and No. 14 in the AP Poll. If we are going directly with the AP Poll, they are on the outside looking in and will miss the CFP entirely. For the Roll Tide to make it, their best bet would be to win the SEC.
However, they would need to jump four teams in the process. The following teams are ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC standings:
- Texas A&M Aggies: 7-1, 5-0
- Georgia Bulldogs: 6-1, 4-1
- Texas Longhorns: 7-1, 3-1
- Tennessee Volunteers: 6-1, 3-1
- LSU Tigers: 6-2, 3-1
The Crimson Tide holds the tiebreaker over Georgia but lost it to the Tennessee Volunteers. The only other team they'll play out of those five are the LSU Tigers. If they do not win the SEC Championship, it will be difficult to make them one of the seven at-large bids with how other teams have done.