Greg McElroy is certain the Alabama Crimson Tide will take a step forward in 2025.
On his podcast Always College Football, McElroy broke down why he’s bullish on Alabama’s outlook this season. The win total projection? 9.5. That’s a number tied with Georgia and Texas for highest in the SEC. But McElroy’s not sweating it—he’s pounding the over.
“If I had to pick,” McElroy said, “I think I’d take ‘Bama on the over this year.”
McElroy said he's basing this after looking at the schedule, the home-field advantage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the pieces that Kalen DeBoer has brought in after a rollercoaster 2024 debut season.
Alabama went undefeated at home last year, which is no small thing in the SEC. McElroy sees another 7-0 mark at Bryant-Denny as very doable. With matchups against Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, and Eastern Illinois all set for Tuscaloosa, he sees a path to that number if the Tide can protect their turf.
The real question, according to McElroy, is how they fare on the road. Missouri, South Carolina, and Auburn are all major question marks. Still, winning just three of those five away games would be enough to crack double-digit wins—something Alabama hasn’t missed out on in back-to-back seasons since the pre-Saban days.
So what’s behind all this confidence?
For starters, while the Crimson Tide saw 41 players depart this offseason, they still managed to bring in the No. 3-ranked high school recruiting class in the country. That matters. Even if the Transfer Portal additions only ranked 62nd, Alabama has always been more about developing talent than plugging holes.
There’s also the fact that 2024, though bumpy, had its moments. Alabama beat then-No. 2 Georgia at home and started 4-0 before the wheels wobbled a bit down the stretch. But as McElroy hinted, many of those stumbles came on the road—and DeBoer now has a full year of SEC experience under his belt.
Sure, there are skeptics. A 9-4 finish last season, including tough losses to Vanderbilt and Michigan, has some wondering whether DeBoer is the guy to carry the program forward after Nick Saban’s retirement. But McElroy is having none of that.
To him, Alabama isn’t a program in transition—it’s a sleeping giant already starting to stretch.
“Alabama’s schedule appears that it can get there,” he said confidently. “I like their chances.”