Kalen DeBoer is being predicted to leave the Alabama Crimson Tide for the Michigan Wolverines the moment his team loses to the Oklahoma Sooners in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Norman on Friday night.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon, not exactly known for being privy to College Football, shared the bold take during an appearance on Thurday's edition of Pardon The Interruption. He did accurately state that many Alabama fans will attempt to run him out of town if he loses.
“Let me tell you about … two schools that could be in the coaching carousel after [Friday night],” Wilbon said. “Because when Alabama loses to Oklahoma – let me say it again, when Alabama loses to Oklahoma – the coach of Alabama, half the people in the state will want to run him out. And he’ll be on the carousel – oh, wait, that’s a G5 being flown to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he has said, ‘Oh, no. I ain’t got no interest in that.’ He’ll have interest [Friday night].
“And then, Alabama will be in the coaching carousel because they’ll be looking for a coach. … The Alabama coach is going to have a job-on-the-line situation in 24 hours and then, headed to Michigan once he loses. And then, Alabama’s looking. Then, what are you going to say?”
On3's Andy Staples denies that DeBoer's job is on the line.
"Kalen DeBoer’s job at Alabama is not on the line tomorrow night," Staples prefaced before saying, "But nice of the guys to discover that the transfer portal is an important thing."
Kalen DeBoer is not safe if Oklahoma blows out Alabama
CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli shared the belief that DeBoer was safe no matter what happened against OU, saying "If Alabama loses to the Sooners, [Kalen DeBoer] is going into 2026 on the hot seat."
That intel feels shaky if the Sooners destroy the Tide in a viral way that gets the Gumps acting irrationally.
Greg Byrne may be willing to stake his tenure in Tuscaloosa to DeBoer for the 2026 season if he loses close. Getting embarrassed should change that mentality, unless the "Bama Standard" is truly gone in the wake of Nick Saban's retirement.