One year of missing the College Football Playoff has second-year coach Kalen DeBoer feeling the pressure to restore the Crimson Tide’s status as one of the nation’s top teams in 2025.

DeBoer had the tough task of replacing legendary head coach Nick Saban and finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record. It was the first time the program had won nine games since 1993, while Saban had only won fewer than 10 games once during his tenure, in the 2007 season (7-6).

Kirby Smart is the first to tell you that Alabama “did an outstanding job of jumping all over” Georgia last season under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide defeated Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium 41-34 last year. Now, the Bulldogs host Alabama. Smart talked about that Tuesday in Atlanta during Day 2 of SEC Media Days.