ESPN personality says Alabama routinely fails to live up to high expectations under DeBoer

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith feels Alabama football under Kalen DeBoer is struggling to live up to high expectations.

The Crimson Tide is 6-2 and is ranked No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Alabama is set to take on LSU Saturday in a game with major playoff implications attached to it.

Smith gave his thoughts on the current state of Alabama under DeBoer ahead of the Crimson Tide taking on the Tigers during the latest episode of “First Take.”

“We always sit up there and crown Alabama,” Smith said. “Every time there’s limited expectations, they rise to the occasion. When they have lofty expectations in the Kalen DeBoer era, they disappoint us. They got boat raced by Indiana in the playoffs. They waved the white flag. They got their asses kicked in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. They come into this year, it was a thriller against Georgia, but they lose that on their home turf. And then the next week after that great showing, even Though they lost the game, we were expecting them to do something, and then Tennessee boat raced them, ran all over them. This is the problem. They got two losses. A third loss should put them in a position where they miss the playoffs. Their playoff hopes, as far as I’m concerned, is on the line. I think Lane Kiffin is going to have these boys ready at LSU, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they won this game.”

Alabama has an opportunity to prove Smith wrong in Baton Rouge.