Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer cautious on nine-game SEC schedule, questions CFP implications

The SEC could be on the verge of adopting a nine-game conference football schedule — a central topic at this week’s spring meetings in Florida. While some coaches support the move, others, like Alabama‘s Kalen DeBoer, have taken a more measured stance. DeBoer expressed openness to the idea but emphasized the importance of context when evaluating strength of schedule across conferences — especially with the expanded College Football Playoff looming.

“You kind of wonder what would have happened if other people had the chance to play our schedule last year,” DeBoer said Tuesday. “And that would only get tougher.”

His point is well taken as Alabama’s 2024 slate was demanding, but the Crimson Tide did not exactly take care of business in the games they were expected to win. Alabama ranked No. 16 nationally and eighth among SEC teams in strength of schedule at the end of the season, according to Jeff Sagarin’s ratings, highlighting the league’s overall difficulty.

Alabama posted its first four-loss season in 17 years under DeBoer, who faced the tall task of succeeding legendary coach Nick Saban. The last time the Crimson Tide lost more than three games was in 2007 — Saban’s debut season in Tuscaloosa.

While Alabama did beat SEC champion Georgia in the biggest game on its 2024 schedule, three regular-season losses were enough to keep the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff. The road loss to rival Tennessee was respectable, but setbacks at Oklahoma and Vanderbilt — both of which finished in the bottom six of the SEC standings — ultimately sealed Alabama’s fate.

The Crimson Tide joined fellow three-loss SEC teams Ole Miss and South Carolina on the outside looking in at the 12-team field, with Indiana and SMU claiming the final two at-large spots.

DeBoer stopped short of blaming Alabama’s exclusion on how its schedule was judged, but his comments hinted at a deeper concern — how strength of schedule will be evaluated across conferences as playoff formats evolve.

“You certainly have to look at those things as it applies if you play nine regular season games that are all in the SEC,” DeBoer said. “The question I have is: How do you understand what the strength of schedule is from conference to conference? It’s pretty easy with other sports — basketball, softball, baseball, whatever it might be — you have all these nonconference games. That’s beyond me to figure out. I’m just going to play the games we schedule and adjust accordingly as we change.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey initiated that sentiment Monday night, cautioning that expanding to a nine-game slate should not jeopardize access to the postseason. Both made clear: tougher schedules only make sense if the selection process for the playoff rewards them.