Question: What's your minimal expectations for Bama this year?

[arthurdawg]

beat the crap out of jawjuh in athens, again.

Beating Georgia would be nice... And they are not as good as they have been... But that will a tall order indeed.

 

[92tide]

Beating Georgia would be nice... And they are not as good as they have been... But that will a tall order indeed.

I’m guessing it will go the way our other recent visits to Athens sent. Of course, I’m biased

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Sadly, I don't care.

I mean, I'll likely watch the first few games to see if the fire is reignited, but it's been so hard to even care this off-season based on current NCAA rules...

If Bama can continue the standard of having most players stick around, I'll retain some interest, I think.

CFB from the last few years is so different / broken from what I've always loved I've no idea if my passionate interest will ever return.

Same here. I will miss week 1 anyway. I plan on a few hikes this fall so I will miss a few weeks after that as well. It will probably be the least amount of football I have watched since college.

 

[MikeInBama]

Schedule wise we have three difficult spots:
@Missouri - They have a bye before us and play only play Power 4 teams in 2 of 5 weeks to begin the season in Kansas and Vanderbilt
Oklahoma - They have a bye before us
@Auburn - They have a bye then Mercer before us
If we lose to UGA, can we win 2-3 of these games? That will be the difference between 11-1, 10-2, etc. I'd be amazed if any team goes undefeated now with the difficulty and parity of the SEC.

LSU and Oklahoma back to back is the most difficult stretch but both are at home. No back-to-back road games.

 

[TIDE24]

Schedule wise we have three difficult spots:
@Missouri - They have a bye before us and play only play Power 4 teams in 2 of 5 weeks to begin the season in Kansas and Vanderbilt
Oklahoma - They have a bye before us
@Auburn - They have a bye then Mercer before us
If we lose to UGA, can we win 2-3 of these games? That will be the difference between 11-1, 10-2, etc. I'd be amazed if any team goes undefeated now with the difficulty and parity of the SEC.

LSU and Oklahoma back to back is the most difficult stretch but both are at home. No back-to-back road games.

I agree with the barn. CKDs first trip to the other side of the state and the voodoo that happens in that stadium really has me concerned. This is one of the toughest places to play in the SEC, especially for Bama. As good as we are in Baton Rouge, we are that bad in that stadium across the state.

The other game that concerns me is USC. On the road after playing UcheaT. Columbia will be tough, and they have a chip on their shoulder after last years close call.

We lost 3 of 4 SEC road games last year (two to .500 teams that had losing records in the SEC).Do we fix road issues this season? This year's road schedule isn't any easier (UGA/Mizzou/USC/Barn).

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I mean, we have to make the playoffs and either get a 1st round bye or win the first game.

 

[MikeInBama]

I agree with the barn. CKDs first trip to the other side of the state and the voodoo that happens in that stadium really has me concerned. This is one of the toughest places to play in the SEC, especially for Bama. As good as we are in Baton Rouge, we are that bad in that stadium across the state.

The other game that concerns me is USC. On the road after playing UcheaT. Columbia will be tough, and they have a chip on their shoulder after last years close call.

We lost 3 of 4 SEC road games last year (two to .500 teams that had losing records in the SEC).Do we fix road issues this season? This year's road schedule isn't any easier (UGA/Mizzou/USC/Barn).

I didn't include USC due to us having a bye after that game and our game is sandwiched in their schedule between @LSU/Oklahoma before and Ole Miss after.

 

[Valley View]

11-1

 

[tusks_n_raider]

11-1

There was a closed door practice today that a few people got invited to see.

I just read where a pretty reliable attendee said we are going to be Good and should win every game or almost win every game.

Even though he's accurate more times than not I'm afraid to let myself get that excited...lol

I think we'll be very good though and now would say our Record range could be somewhere from 10-2 to 12-0.

Our schedule is BRUTAL so I lean towards 10-2 to 11-1 as safer bets.

Anything less than 10-2 and the Playoffs will be a disappointment.

 

[CoolBreeze]

We just have to take this season one game at a time. We can beat anyone on our schedule. We can get beat in some of those trap games if we get ahead of ourselves. Think this is a hungry group, kids and coaches. Looking forward to a fun season for sure.

 

[BamaNation]

It all revolves around the line (both sides) and the QB. I think everybody else looks good through my crimson lenses!

With the caveat that I know only what I see and hear, my prediction is 11-1, play in the SECC, make the playoffs. That would be good progress. We really were very close last year to having a stellar season even with all the chaos and discombobulation and divas.

Lots of coulda shoulda woulda's in 2024 ... A bad Oklahoma team was the only one that whipped us all over the field and prevented us from being a playoff team. Vandy was a once-in-3-generations loss and we didn't really care in the bowl. Should have beaten UTn, and the close loss to Meechegan would have been (nearly was) a win had we been playing for something other than a meaningless 10th win in a meaningless bowl game.

Early Sunday morning, I rewatched the UGA game from last year. We were dominant for much of the game. I think the 2025 team's leadership is MUCH stronger and they have higher expectations of themselves to live the standard. I like what I've been hearing from multiple angles about this.

We're 2 weeks away - I don't care about NIL, the College Sports Commission, collectives, or anything else that artificially detracts from the field. Players who prioritize that over the Tide will be PNG to me. Too bad so sad, but I'm going to enjoy watching and be fully involved in the Crimson Tide each week!

 

[RammerJammer14]

The attitude of last year’s team disillusioned me enough that I have zero expectations for this season until I see them face some adversity and play as a team. Would not be surprised at 7-5 or 11-1.

I just want to see guys play who want to be here, and aren’t just here for a paycheck.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The attitude of last year’s team disillusioned me enough that I have zero expectations for this season until I see them face some adversity and play as a team. Would not be surprised at 7-5 or 11-1.

I just want to see guys play who want to be here, and aren’t just here for a paycheck.

Yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic but leaning more toward cautiously. Especially seeing the last two years the players were so vocal in the media about how "dominant" aspects of the team were and I got my hopes up only to realize when the games started, there was nothing dominant about those teams and it was a bunch of hot air talk.

 

[CB4]

Pains me to say this but I’m more “disconnected” from my Alabama football fandom (and college football in general) than I have been in my entire life. Maybe because of the frustration of the past few years, maybe because the inmates have been running the asylum, or just because I’m just an old man now tired of screaming at the clouds.

It used to be I would say my expectation would be to “win them all”, because wearing that crimson jersey meant something that went beyond a player’s abilities. It meant the playing “above your head” game in and game out. And that love and respect for the University and the program was the bond between my fandom and the players.

Today, at least for me, that is lost. Will I still watch? Yep. Will I be totally invested in winning and losing? Nope. No longer will a win keep me on euphoric high hours after the game is over. No longer will a loss stick in my craw for days and weeks on end.

I guess you would say my expectation is I have no expectations. I think this team has the talent to win them all. However I don’t know if this team and staff has the leadership to do it. I will say, however, if this team loses three or more games and miss the playoffs, then CKD’s seat will start to warm up quickly.

 

[BhamToTexas]

...or almost win every game.

Dang that would suck to almost win every game.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Pains me to say this but I’m more “disconnected” from my Alabama football fandom (and college football in general) than I have been in my entire life. Maybe because of the frustration of the past few years, maybe because the inmates have been running the asylum, or just because I’m just an old man now tired of screaming at the clouds.

It used to be I would say my expectation would be to “win them all”, because wearing that crimson jersey meant something that went beyond a player’s abilities. It meant the playing “above your head” game in and game out. And that love and respect for the University and the program was the bond between my fandom and the players.

Today, at least for me, that is lost. Will I still watch? Yep. Will I be totally invested in winning and losing? Nope. No longer will a win keep me on euphoric high hours after the game is over. No longer will a loss stick in my craw for days and weeks on end.

I guess you would say my expectation is I have no expectations. I think this team has the talent to win them all. However I don’t know if this team and staff has the leadership to do it. I will say, however, if this team loses three or more games and miss the playoffs, then CKD’s seat will start to warm up quickly.

His seat will fully be on fire if we miss the playoffs again.

Les Miles ate grass and went 11-2, 11-2, and 12-2 his 1st 3 years after CNS.

The landscape is different but CNS still left behind a Top 5 program.

 

[bamaslammer]

As long as we make the playoff and don't face plant when we get there.

 

[SeventhHeavenRanch7777@gm]

9-3. Hope im wrong. I'm just not that high on DeBoar. Yet anyway. I'm hoping Grubb makes a.big difference