Tide in Turmoil: After the FSU Heartbreak, Can Deboer Right the Ship Before ULM?

Photo by Marcin on Unsplash

I had to take some time off because the wound is still raw, I’m still angry. Been a die‑hard Tide fan since 1986, I’ve seen highs and low, but the loss to Florida State stings because it feels like more than a single bad night. For many of us it’s a continuation of last season’s stumbles — the Vandy, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Michigan setbacks and it raises a chilling question: has something fundamental changed in how this team is prepared, coached and led?

Comparisons to Nick Saban are inevitable. Saban built a culture of relentless attention to detail, situational awareness, and in‑game adjustment that minimized surprises and punished sloppy execution. Kalen Deboer is still carving his identity, but the early losses to unranked teams and inconsistent performances suggest he hasn’t yet imposed the same ironclad standards. That’s not necessarily a knock that he can’t get there and establishing a tone; yet discipline and buy‑in takes time but the symptoms are clear: lapses in fundamentals, special teams mistakes, ill‑timed penalties, and an offense that struggles to sustain drives or protect leads.

What needs to change now?

1. Reinforce fundamentals in practice: Tackling, blocking assignments, ball security, and situational reps (two‑minute…