At any other school in any other situation, Kalen DeBoer’s first two seasons would have been more than acceptable.
Unfortunately for DeBoer, he’s at Alabama and replacing Nick Saban, so a 20-8 record and one trip to the College Football Playoff in his first two seasons is enough for his seat to be simmering ahead of his third campaign.
Adding to the drama in Tuscaloosa is that DeBoer is putting his job security on the shoulders of a redshirt freshman quarterback, Keelon Russell.
Russell passed his first test in a Week 1 thrashing of East Carolina, but he’s now set to make his first road SEC start Saturday against Kentucky.
Alabama is a 10.5-point favorite at Kroger Field.
The Wildcats are not expected to make much noise in the SEC in Will Stein’s first season, but overlook this roster at your own peril.
Stein brought quarterback Kenny Minchey in from Notre Dame and he beefed up the offensive line and the backfield in the portal.
The Wildcats won’t be easily pushed around when they have the ball, which wasn’t the case in 2025.
If Kentucky can find a way to move the chains, the defense should hold up its end of the bargain.
The Wildcats ranked 35th in SP+ on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, and they return plenty of experience this season. A step forward is a fair expectation of this unit.
Alabama fans were encouraged by what they saw from Russell against East Carolina in Week 1.
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The former Gatorade Player of the Year was effective through the air and on the ground and didn’t get himself into any trouble against the Pirates.
Taking care of business against East Carolina at home in Week 1 is one thing, but going on the road and doing it against an SEC opponent is another thing.
This is quite a price to lay on a freshman quarterback in a hostile environment.
The Play: Kentucky +10.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
