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In the 2024 season, Alabama is poised to push for a national championship again, even after replacing its long-time head coach, Nick Saban with former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer. The team is driven by a blend of experienced players like quarterback Jalen Milore, defensive back Malachi Moore, and promising newcomers like receiver Ryan Williams.
As they navigate a challenging Southeastern Conference schedule, Alabama's success will hinge on their ability to maintain consistency and execute under pressure.
Week 1: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Crimson Tide welcome the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky for the first game of the DeBoer era. The two teams have met three times, with Alabama taking all three games for a 3-0 record in the series. They last met in 2016, when Alabama won 38-10.
This game should be a good starting point for the Tide under DeBoer. It should be a game the Tide controls for the entire game. The offensive line should be able to control the Hilltoppers and give Milroe ample time to find open receivers. The ground game will be paced by Jam Miller and talented sophomore Justice Haynes, who should have no problem racking up yards and points. The defense will have a chance to address secondary concerns early as the Hilltoppers will try to throw the ball all over the field. Alabama wins this one easily.
Record: 1-0
Week 2: South Florida Bulls
The Bulls and the Tide have only met twice in the program's history. The last meeting was last year in rainy Tampa Bay, Fla. The Bulls gave the Tide all they wanted but Alabama made plays down the stretch to leave South Florida with a 17-3 victory. Alabama has won both meetings against the Bulls.
Coach Alex Golesh is responsible for putting 50 points on a Alabama defense recently, and he is hoping for quarterback Byrum Brown and wide receiver Sean Atkins to put stress on the Tide defense. Alabama is still the better team and should have more success than last year as they were dealing with quarterback and offensive line issues. The Bulls will put up a fight early but, in the end, the Crimson Tide will be too much for the Bulls and the backups get action late in the game.
Record: 2-0
Week 3: at Wisconsin Badgers
These two long-standing programs have only met twice. The series is tied 1-1 with Alabama winning the last match up 35-17 back in 2015. This is not your father's 3 yards and a cloud of dust Badgers as Luke Fikell is bringing the spread offense to Camp Randall.
This will be the first road test for the DeBoer-led Tide, and it is a rowdy bunch that will be craving a big game victory. The good thing for Alabama is people in key spots that have the experience of being in big games and big games on the road in a hostile environment. The Badgers still will fall short as the "Jimmys and the Joes" for Alabama are just better. Alabama wins this game and look for a back-door cover for those looking to wager.
Record: 3-0
Week 4: Bye
The bye week could not come at a better time for the Tide. A week off to heal and focus because the Georgia Bulldogs are coming to town the next week.
Week 5: Georgia Bulldogs
The matchup of Georgia and Alabama is a matchup between SEC rivals that have played 73 times in the storied programs histories. The Tide hold a 43-26-4 in the series including a victory last year in the SEC Championship game, 27-24.
Gone are Lad McConkey and Brock Bowers, but Carson Beck is back, and a lot of people expect the quarterback to be a front runner for the Heisman Trophy at the end of the year. If he can come to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and pull off a victory in front of Tide fans that have not seen Georgia in Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2020 and only twice since 2007 he would put himself in the running. This game has the feel of a defensive battle and with the Tide having home-field advantage the edge goes to the Tide. Alabama wins a tough game close.
Record: 4-0
Week 6: at Vanderbilt Commodores
This is one of the more lopsided conference games in all of football. Alabama holds a 63-18-4 record over the Commodores. The last time Vanderbilt even beat the Tide was in 1984. The Tide have won 23 straight games in the match up.
Clark Leah and the Commodores did well in the Transfer Portal in the offseason, however, they are still Vanderbilt and Alabama is still Alabama. The Tide get out big, the get out early and let some of the backups get in-game reps as Alabama cruises to a 6-0 start under DeBoer.
Record: 5-0
Week 7: South Carolina Gamecocks
For only the 17th time since 1937, these SEC foes will square off in football. The Tide hold a 13-3 advantage over the Gamecocks, but the three wins for South Carolina have come since 2000.
Spencer Rattler is gone to the New Orleans Saints so dynamic redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers steps in to run an offense that had trouble protecting its quarterback last year. Explosive wide receiver Nyck Harbor possess world class speed and size standing at 6-foot-5. "Sandstorm" will be blaring at the beginning of the game, but the Tide will silence that Gamecock faithful and should win the game comfortably pulling away in the later stages.
Record: 6-0
Week 8: at Tennessee Volunteers
There are books written about the third Saturday in October. As the Volunteers and the Crimson Tide have made this the traditional week for their rivalry game. Since a 6-6 tie in Birmingham, Ala., in 1901 these two original SEC members have fought a bitter rivalry. The series has been more Tide slanted as of late with the Tide having won 15 straight before the Volunteers beat them 52-49 in 2022. The Tide hold a 60-38-8 advantage in the series.
This game is going to be a problem for the Tide. If Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is the quarterback coach Josh Heupel thinks he is, the offense can be a big problem with Squirrel White and Bru McCoy stretching the field. James Pearce Jr. on defense is one of the best defensive line players in all of college football. The crowd get into it and "Rocky Top" is being played at a fever pitch and this is the game the Tide slip up in. In another close one in Knoxville, the Volunteers hand the Tide their first loss of the season.
Record: 6-1
Week 9: Bye
Again, the bye week comes at a good time for the Crimson Tide. Having suffered their first loss, the Tide will have a week to recoup and review after the Tennessee game. The Tide will use this as a break before an important match up against Missouri to regain momentum on the season.
Week 10: Missouri Tigers
This will be the eighth meeting all time for the Tide and the Tigers. The Tide hold a 5-2 series edge over the Tigers. The last meeting went to the Tide, as they beat Missouri 38-19 in Columbia, Mo.
The Tigers will have offense with Brady Cook, Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. racing up and down the field. With the loss of their do-everything running back Cody Schrader, the Tigers rely too much on the pass and let teams pin their ears back against Cook. Alabama rolls into Columbia wanting to knock the smell of the loss to Tennessee off and they roll the Tigers easily in front of a uneasy Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd.
Record: 7-1
Week 11: Bye
The final bye weekend comes at a god time for the Tide as they prepare for the final push to end the season and secure a post season spot.
Week 12: at LSU Tigers
This game has become one of the biggest games in the country every year. The Tigers and Tide first played in 1895 and now the Tide hold a 56-27-5 advantage. The Tigers last win came in 2022 in a 32-31 victory, with the Tide returning the favor last year winning 42-28.
The Tigers are trying to replace Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels with Garrett Nussmeier. The Tigers have not reached the standards fans have gotten used to and they roll into Week 12 with head coach Brian Kelly on the hot seat. The setting in Baton Rouge, La., will help the Tigers some, even more so if it's a night game. However, the setting will not be enough for the Tigers to overcome the Tide. Alabama shuts down LSU and puts Kelly even more on the hot seat and win easily on the road.
Record: 8-1
Week 13: Mercer Bears
The Crimson Tide and the Bears have met four times previously with the Tide winning each of the games with relative ease. The Tide hold a 4-0 advantage in the series with the average margin of victory of more than 32 points per game.
This is the typical SEC nonconference game in November and the Tide will handle Mercer with ease again and this will let the starters rest before the final two games of the year. Giving the younger guys a chance to get on the field to get more experience with a possibly long post-season run-in front of them will be beneficial.
Record: 9-1
Week 14: at Oklahoma Sooners
The two crimson-colored blue bloods have only met on the gridiron six times, and this is the only team on the Tides' schedule this year that has a winning record against them. Alabama won the last match up, a College Football Playoff game that saw the Tide win 45-34. The Sooners hold a 3-2-1 advantage over the Tide.
The Tide return to Norman, Okla., for the first time since the thriller in 2002 that saw Oklahoma win 37-27. Oklahoma is in its first year in the SEC and is dealing with the trials of being in a far tougher conference than the Big 12 Conference. While the Sooner defense is vastly better than the last decade, the offense might struggle with youth at the helm in Jackson Arnold. The veteran leadership of Milroe is the difference in a close, hard-fought game heading into the Iron Bowl.
Record: 10-1
Week 15: Auburn Tigers
The Iron Bowl is one of the best and most important rivalries in all of college football. The odd seems to always happen in this game. Even though it is very cliche, the saying you can throw the records out of the window is true in this game. The Tide hold an advantage of 50-37-1. Alabama won last year with the "Gravedigger" play on a fourth-and-31 at the end of the game, giving the Tide a 27-24 victory.
Peyton Thorne is not the answer for the Tigers and Auburn struggles offensively with the only true weapon they have in Jarquez Hunter at running back. If the Tide can stop Hunter, the Tide should handle Auburn this year. That being said, it is a rivalry, and anything can happen. Once again it is a much closer game than it should but Alabama escapes again in a close game.
Record: 11-1
Alabama's Postseason
The Crimson Tide at 11-1 will make the SEC Championship game once again. The Tide will face the Texas Longhorns in Atlanta. The Tide exact revenge for last year's loss in Tuscaloosa and win the SEC Championship in DeBoer's first season.
Winning the SEC gives Alabama a bye in the first round of the new 12-team CFP. The Tide will make it to the semifinals of the playoffs before bowing out in a close game. The opponent depends on the teams involved, but at this time the margin for error is small. The Tide will finish with a 13-2 record and DeBoer shows that he was the right guy to follow Saban. The Tide is going nowhere, no matter how bad fans that don't like Alabama hope they suffer. They are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Overall Record: 13-2
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