Alabama football ‘has to’ reach CFP in 2025, Joel Klatt says

The Alabama Crimson Tide enter the 2025 college football season in a bit of an unfamiliar spot.

While fans and critics alike gradually got used to Nick Saban not being on the Alabama football sideline after 17 unprecedented seasons of success, coach Kalen DeBoer still has some skeptics entering 2025.

Alabama finished 9-4 in DeBoer’s first season and despite an ugly late-season loss at Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide appeared set to make the College Football Playoff — even with three losses.

The Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney, a former Alabama player turned formidable thorn in the side, then stole the Crimson Tide’s projected at-large spot by becoming the first “bid thief” of the expanded 12-team playoff. In doing so, Alabama wound up in the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) and lost to a Michigan Wolverines team that was a shell of its 2023 national championship self in Tampa.

What would make for a successful second season for DeBoer in Tuscaloosa? Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt weighed in with his thoughts on the Thursday edition of his popular program: “The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast.”

For Klatt, the answer comes down to only one thing: Alabama must reach the 2025 College Football Playoff in order for the season to be considered any kind of success.

“They’ve never missed the playoff two years in a row, and Kalen DeBoer does not want that on his record in just his second season as the head coach at Alabama. This team has to go to the College Football Playoff — like, that is the bare minimum. I really think they probably need to win a game in the College Football Playoff, but they absolutely have to go to the College Football Playoff.” –Joel Klatt, Fox Sports

The good news, for Klatt at least, is that he believes Alabama will return to the playoff in 2025 and that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will be a big reason why.

Klatt views Grubb as a tremendous asset for the Crimson Tide and for DeBoer after the longtime duo reunited this offseason.

“Ryan Grubb being back for them as their offensive coordinator, I think, is huge. This is a program that is used to being the pinnacle of the sport. We’ve never, ever seen what Nick Saban was able to do. He was the best coach in the history of this sport. They had a sustained level of success that we’re never going to see again, winning national championships over cycles of recruits. But they’re right on the back of that.” –Joel Klatt

Klatt continues to be high on DeBoer as a coach and views him as “the right hire” for where Alabama stands in the post-Saban landscape.

“We all think (DeBoer) is a very good coach and the right hire for them, but he has to prove it. At least get back to the College Football Playoff,” Klatt reiterated. “Again, I think that they probably need to win a (CFP) game, and we’ll see if they’re able to do that.”

Where ‘loaded’ Alabama ranks in Joel Klatt’s preseason Top 25 rankings

Monday saw the release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Alabama was ranked No. 8, one spot below the Oregon Ducks and one spot ahead of the LSU Tigers. 

It’s the lowest the Crimson Tide have been ranked in the preseason since 2008, when Alabama debuted at No. 24 in the AP poll before going 12-0 in the regular season and falling to a star-studded Florida Gators team the Crimson Tide would soon overtake as the SEC’s most dominant program.

Klatt unveiled his own Top 25 preseason rankings on Tuesday and had Alabama at No. 9, with LSU one spot ahead of the Crimson Tide. 

In explaining his No. 9 ranking for Alabama, Klatt mentioned some of the points he reiterated on Thursday — namely that he’s high on both DeBoer and Grubb as a coaching tandem.

“DeBoer is an outstanding coach. He has won everywhere that he has been. He also has won everywhere that he has been in large part due to the fact that his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, has been with him. He was not there last year, but he’s coming back and they will be joined again.” –Joel Klatt, Fox Sports

Klatt believes that Grubb in particular will help first-year starter Ty Simpson develop into a solid quarterback.

“I think it’s going to help them out,” Klatt said of Grubb. “I think it’s going to help out Ty Simpson, who’s slated to be their quarterback. We’ll see how good he is. He’s a former five-star who’s been waiting three years for his chance to play.”

Klatt says that Alabama’s roster is “loaded” on both sides of the ball entering 2025.

“They’re going to have stars all over the field,” he said. “‘Bama is loaded with talent, we all know that. Ryan Williams is one of the best players in the country. Germie Bernard is also one of the best players out there. I love Kadyn Proctor. He was a top 10 player for me. I love their center, Parker Brailsford. These guys can play.

“On defense, LT Overton, Tim Keenan, Deontae Lawson. This is a defense that was top 10 in the country for Kane Wommack, their defensive coordinator a year ago. They should be fine.”

Alabama football schedule 2025

Alabama will open the season against Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.

Aug. 30: at Florida State, 2:30 p.m., ABCSept. 6: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 6:45 p.m., SEC NetworkSept. 13: vs. Wisconsin, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPNSept. 27: at Georgia, 6:30 p.m., ABCOct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt, TBAOct. 11: at Missouri, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPNOct. 18: vs. Tennessee, TBAOct. 25: at South Carolina, TBANov. 8: vs. LSU, prime timeNov. 15: vs. Oklahoma, TBANov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+Nov. 29: at Auburn, TBA