Very soon, expectations for Alabama Football will begin to be shaped by the reality of games. Current perspectives may change, but there is a sense that certain attitudes will persist for the 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide throughout the season.
Before Saturday's season-opener, it is worthwhile to remember how the 2024 season ended. Widespread disappointment went deeper than a 9-4 record. Worse was how the final losses happened. Against Oklahoma and Michigan, a hapless Crimson Tide offense scored a total of 16 points. The Sooners were a 5-5 team when Alabama faced them in Norman. ESPN's Chris Low aptly described the Wolverines as a "substandard Michigan squad.