The evaluations of Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2024 football season have been steadily emerging, with CBS Sports’ analyst Josh Pate offering his insights on the team’s performance. During a recent episode of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” Pate assigned Alabama a C+ grade for the season, which marked the first year under head coach Kalen DeBoer. The team ended with a 9-4 record, facing several challenges along the way.
Losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma prevented Alabama from securing a spot in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Their season concluded with a disappointing 19-13 defeat against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Pate identified the inconsistent performance of starting quarterback Jalen Milroe as a key factor in the team’s struggles.
Pate remarked that the team’s fate was often dictated by Milroe’s play, with notable victories against Georgia and LSU contrasting sharply with lackluster performances against Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The analyst also pointed out other issues, such as players leaving through the transfer portal and the running game failing to meet preseason expectations. However, he emphasized that the team remained loyal to Milroe despite his inconsistency, drawing parallels to a similar situation the previous year under coach Nick Saban.
Looking ahead, Pate expressed optimism for the 2025 season, anticipating improvements as DeBoer’s strategies become more ingrained and the players fully buy into his system. The return of key players, including Freshman All-American Ryan Williams, and an intriguing quarterback competition are expected to contribute to a stronger performance.
