High Stakes for Alabama and LSU: A Boom-or-Bust 2025 Season Looms
The Crimson Tide endured an unprecedented four-loss season, a feat unseen since Nick Saban’s inaugural year in 2007. Conversely, the LSU Tigers have faced the challenge of losing four or more games in five of the past eight seasons. These records set the stage for a high-pressure 2025 college football season for both Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and LSU’s Brian Kelly.
Expectations and Variability
The question on many fans’ minds: Can the Crimson Tide reclaim their dominance? Will the Tigers rise to the challenge? Opinions are divided, positioning both teams among the most unpredictable contenders for the upcoming season.
Ranking Analysis
Sporting News recently published its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2024. However, to gain a broader perspective, we examined rankings from other notable sources, including 247Sports.com, Action Network, Athlon, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and
Our analysis focused on the variance in these rankings—the disparity between a high position in one publication and a significantly lower one in another. We identified five schools with a variance of 17 spots or more, indicating a wide range of expectations.
Alabama and LSU Among High-Variance Teams
Both Alabama and LSU exemplify this high variance. Alongside a few other schools, they have the potential to either triumph in their Power 4 conference or face another disappointing season with four or more losses. These high-stakes scenarios define them as boom-or-bust teams.
As the 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on DeBoer and Kelly as they navigate these pressures. The future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the journey will be anything but dull.
