Nov 8, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Louisiana State Tigers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images
There’s a sense of discomfort permeating through Alabama’s football program at the moment. Behind all the smiles, nods and statements of reassurance, there’s a hint of uneasiness as No. 9 Alabama prepares for its first-round playoff matchup at No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday.
Kalen DeBoer is staying put at Alabama, but it took four days for him to squash the rumors of his potential departure to Michigan. And even then, he had to be asked twice before formally declaring that he would be the Crimson Tide’s head coach next season.
Is Ty Simpson at full health? The starting quarterback didn’t show up on Alabama’s injury report, but he hasn’t looked himself while seeing his passer rating drop in each of the past five games. When asked about his health on Tuesday, Simpson said he felt “great.” Then, in the next breath, he proceeded to say. “I don’t know a team who is healthy at all, so fire me up.”
Alabama is quick to sweep aside concerns over DeBoer and Simpson at the moment, but don’t be surprised if they are cited as mitigating factors if the Tide goes one-and-done in the College Football Playoff this weekend.
Speaking of built-in excuses, Alabama is already crafting one up when it comes to Friday night’s setting. When assessing last year’s loss at Oklahoma, wide receiver Germie Bernard brought up the lighting inside Memorial Stadium as one of the reasons for Alabama’s struggles.
“Their lights kind of got me last time we played,” Bernard said. “The lights, they’re just kind of in a weird position I’d say.”
To be fair, Memorial Stadium’s lighting is unique. Unlike most college stadiums, Oklahoma’s lights are positioned high in the corners of the field instead of on the sidelines.
For what it’s worth, Alabama dropped four passes during last year’s 24-3 loss at Oklahoma. None of those came from Bernard, who led the team with four receptions for 60 yards. However, the receiver did appear to lose a ball in the lights during the game.
While Bernard’s complaint has been ridiculed on social media, he acknowledged that factors such as lighting are part of the game, stating that he and the rest of the receivers “have to be able to adjust.” Good on him for keeping the whining to a minimum, but why bring it up in the first place?
The lighting was just fine in Bryant-Denny Stadium when Alabama suffered a 23-21 defeat to Oklahoma earlier this season. That didn’t stop the Tide from dropping a pair of passes and turning the ball over three times against the Sooners.
In reality, Alabama’s receiving corps likely isn’t worried about funky light fixtures on Friday night. That being said, I take Bernard’s comments as another drop of blood in the water from a Tide team that seems to be struggling to stay afloat over the past few weeks.
Maybe all these concerns are overblown. Perhaps these preconceived distractions will all be dispelled when a full-focused Kalen DeBoer and a rejuvenated Ty Simpson help spark a playoff run for a reenergized Tide over the next few weeks.
Or maybe, all of these red flags shouldn’t be ignored. It could be that these strings of doubt all lead to the unraveling of Alabama’s season.
We’ll find out Friday night when Alabama steps into the spotlight — wherever it’s positioned.
The Tide certainly has the talent to turn things around over the next month. Although, at the moment, I can’t help shake this uneasy feeling.
Tony Tsoukalas is a staff writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with more than a dozen years of sports writing experience. Tsoukalas, a graduate of Alabama, has covered the Crimson Tide since 2016, previously working for the Anniston Star, Bama Central and Rivals. He won first place in the 2024 Associated Press Sports Editors contest in the Division D Beat Writing category. Along with team coverage, Tsoukalas provides a weekly column featuring his take on Alabama athletics. Follow him on X at Tony_Tsoukalas
