The honeymoon is over. Kalen DeBoer is about to find out just how unforgiving Tuscaloosa can be. With Ty Simpson off chasing NFL paychecks with the Los Angeles Rams, the Crimson Tide faces a glaring void at quarterback. Replacing a star is brutal. Doing it under the suffocating pressure of Alabama’s expectations is a different beast entirely. Welcome to 2026. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Let’s look at the schedule. Some games loom larger than others. First up is East Carolina on September 5. It sounds like an easy tune-up, but it isn’t. Lose that opener, and the entire season spirals before the leaves even change color. Then comes October 17. Tennessee is waiting. The Volunteers have quietly built a powerhouse, racking up nine-plus wins in three of the last four years. It will be a bloodbath. And, of course, there is LSU. They might not be the giants of old, but when the Tigers meet the Tide, logic goes out the window. The national media will feast on the carcass of whoever loses that one.
DeBoer will hit a wall. Three walls, actually. First, Georgia. The Bulldogs have spent the last half-decade treating the regular season like a light scrimmage. Alabama will likely get bullied. Then there is Texas A&M. Under Mike Elko, the Aggies have quietly gone 19-7, turning into a disciplined, dangerous squad that will exploit every single weakness DeBoer’s offense shows. But the real trap? Vanderbilt. Yes, Vandy. By the time November 7 rolls around, Alabama will have crawled through a month-long meatgrinder. They will be exhausted. Vandy, coming off a shocking 10-3 run with a chip on their shoulder, will be waiting to spring the trap.
Expect a quick start. The early schedule allows for some optimism. But October is a meat grinder. If DeBoer can’t find a way to make fans forget about Ty Simpson, and fast, this season will turn ugly. Fast.
