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The Alabama Crimson Tide responded to a shocking 31-17 road loss to the Florida State Seminoles in Week 1 with two straight victories. Their latest, a 38-14 win over the Wisconsin Badgers at Bryant-Denny Stadium, comes right before their first bye of the season. And their SEC opener in two weeks at Sanford Stadium against the Georgia Bulldogs.
It was the opposite of everything that Bammers were worried about. The defense looked engaged and focused. Players were excited on the sidelines. There was an undeniable energy.
It looked like Alabama Crimson Tide football. And it read like it on the box score.
The Tuscaloosa News’ Colin Gay called the latest restoration effort of the “Bama Standard” a “statement” win, just as Alabama’s 42-10 win over Wisconsin in Madison was last year.
“Alabama football made a statement in its trip to Madison in 2024, the first road game of the Kalen DeBoer era. In the Badgers’ return trip to Tuscaloosa in 2025, with a Crimson Tide team still reeling from its season-opening loss to Florida State, Alabama made another,” Gay wrote.
“With SEC play looming, the No. 18 Crimson Tide beat Wisconsin 38-14 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, using a highly-efficient passing performance by Ty Simpson and a defensive front that was tenacious, landing multiple sacks for the first time since Alabama’s ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan in 2024, along with multiple turnovers.”
The way the Crimson Tide is playing lends credence to the idea that the loss to FSU in Tallahassee was the best thing possible for the program.
The real Ryan Williams stood up against the Badgers, with 165 yards and two touchdown receptions on just five receptions. Ty Simpson looked built for Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb’s offense, tossing for 382 yards and four touchdown passes, which was just one fewer than the number of incompletions he had in 29 pass attempts. Germie Bernard was everything you want in a WR2, with 65 yards and two touchdowns, one a rushing score.
And the defense couldn’t be lauded enough. Kane Wommack looks like he’s gotten through to a unit that finally looks like the mid-Nick Saban year teams did, generating chaos and turnovers via pressure.
DeBoer should catch less heat for a bit. The bye week comes at a time when at least two ranked SEC squads, like the Oklahoma Sooners, Auburn Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Missouri Tigers, could take losses.
With UGA on the road coming, though, there will be a point where the heat is scalding.
He did well to bounce back from the Florida State loss, but 2-2 has DeBoer in trouble. And it’s scarily possible.
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