Joel Klatt Issues Blunt Warning to Alabama, Kalen DeBoer for CFP

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide have a massive College Football Playoff game on the way, as they face the Oklahoma Sooners in the first round.

Friday’s game occurs in Norman, Oklahoma, and is a rematch of the two teams’ previous meeting during the NCAA regular season. However, things have changed, as drama and speculation surround DeBoer and the Tide heading into the matchup.

By now, it’s no surprise that DeBoer’s name has been popping up in rumors for various coaching jobs that may be available. The biggest rumor was that he was in talks with the University of Michigan to become the Wolverines’ new head coach.

However, the Alabama head coach addressed the situation with a statement, seemingly denying that he was speaking with other football programs at this time.

Read more: Urban Meyer Calls Out Michigan, Kalen DeBoer Coaching Rumors

According to Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt, the Crimson Tide has to stay “focused” as they prepare for this game and for Friday’s game. However, the distractions surrounding the team could be significant, including the potential departure of their starting quarterback for the NFL.

“Bama’s been dealing with a lot. You know, I think that they’ve got some distractions. There’s some question about how their focus is gonna be,” he suggested on his “The Joel Klatt Show.”

“The last time we saw them on the field, Georgia was beating them down handedly,” he said, adding, “You’ve got all of the talk about what Ty Simpson is going to do with his future and obviously Kalen DeBoer, his name being thrown around.”

Simpson is currently projected as No. 6 in Tankathons’ NFL mock draft, suggesting his value is high should he choose to declare for the professional league.

He questioned if the “distraction meter” might play a part in Alabama’s preparation and performance for the CFP game.

“I’ve always said on this program, and you guys have heard me say it. The quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted,” Klatt contended.

Along with the distractions, Klatt called attention to Simpson’s subpar play in his past four games, completing 60 percent of his passes for just over 200 yards.

He said Simpson’s recent performance, including just five touchdown passes in those games, is “not gonna cut it” against Oklahoma.

When the two teams played last month, the Sooners came away from Tuscaloosa with a 23-21 win, despite Simpson throwing for over 300 yards at home. Now that Oklahoma is the home team and Alabama faces distractions, Klatt predicted Oklahoma will win Friday’s game and move on to the second round against Indiana.

Read more: USC, Lincoln Riley Lose Surprising Defensive Star to Transfer Portal

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