Four teams ranked in the preseason top 10 suffered a loss in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, but Joel Klatt is only worried about Alabama. After suffering a 14-point blowout loss to Florida State, Klatt believes that Kalen Deboer and the Crimson Tide should be concerned with their initial performance.

Klatt claimed that the way DeBoer's 2025 Alabama team looked in Week 1 should have fans “panicked” due to their lack of effort. In comparison to previous teams in recent program history, the FOX Sports analyst believes that this current iteration of the Crimson Tide is a mere “shell of itself.”

“If I'm Alabama, I'm panicked,” Klatt said on ‘The Joel Klatt Show.' “Florida State beat them badly in the effort game. Where was the effort? Where was the pride? This was a program that had the best players in the sport playing as if their lives depended on it for 15 years. They would play like they were desperate for their next breath of air. That Alabama team on Saturday, that was a shell of its former self.”

Klatt added that the Tide's offensive line was “manhandled” by Florida State's front seven. The Seminoles got after quarterback Ty Simpson, while holding Alabama to just 3.0 yards per carry.

The perceived lack of effort was not just mentioned by Klatt but also acknowledged by DeBoer. The second-year coach criticized his own team for that exact issue after the game and vowed to address it before Week 2.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama look to bounce back in Week 2

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Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) reacts after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The loss will stir drama, but Alabama's 2025 season is far from over. The Crimson Tide will drop in the post-Week 1 rankings, but they have an excellent chance to rebound in Week 2 against ULM.

After facing a much-improved Florida State team on the road, Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa for its home opener on Sept. 6. ULM is off to a 1-0 start after beating FCS program St. Francis 29-0 in Week 1.

Alabama will also face a struggling Wisconsin team at home in Week 3, giving it a solid chance of beginning the season 2-1. The Crimson Tide's next opportunity to legitimately rebound from the Florida State loss will come in Week 5, when they face No. 5-ranked Georgia in Athens.

After going just 9-4 in 2024, a down year for Alabama's standard, some fans are already calling for DeBoer's job. While a bit premature, the 50-year-old cannot afford to lose to another unranked team in 2025.