College football Week 12 overreactions: Kalen DeBoer isn't answer for Alabama, Texas is biggest loser

There's a lot of teams in contention for biggest disappointment of 2025. Penn State entered the year ranked second with its eyes on a Big Ten title and a repeat appearance in the College Football Playoff, but it fired longtime coach James Franklin amid an 0-3 start to conference play. 

This was supposed to be the year that Florida finally got it going under Billy Napier. He was ousted before the calendar turned to November. Clemson and LSU both quickly dropped from preseason top 10 to unranked. 

But it's Texas that has set a new bar in futility. The Longhorns made history as a preseason No. 1. They were expected to compete for a national title with ballyhooed young quarterback Arch Manning leading the way. 

Those hopes took a significant hit in a Week 1 loss to Ohio State. It's been downhill since. Manning has been more hype than substance to this point. Granted, he hasn't had a ton of help. 

Texas was unable to overcome significant losses at wide receiver and along the offensive line as both of those units have played very poorly. This is also the worst rushing attack that coach Steve Sarkisian has had since coming to Austin. 

Not to be outdone, the defense has been a complete dud. The Longhorns have allowed 34.7 points per game over their last three games. 

Tom Fornelli's CFP Vibe Check, Week 12: Texas poised to start arguments, Big Ten gets results it needed

Tom Fornelli

Their 35-10 Week 12 loss against Georgia provided irrefutable proof that Texas isn't anywhere close to being a premier program in the SEC. The Longhorns look woefully outmatched against most teams with a similar talent level, and they're much closer to middling than they are to elite. 

Discussion of Texas as a potential playoff team is absurd. This is the type of year that should prompt Sarkisian to make some significant changes or he could be in hot water in 2026. 

Kalen DeBoer isn't going to get Alabama where it wants to go

Kalen DeBoer is a very good football coach. There's no denying that. He's one of a handful of active coaches that can flaunt a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance. He's a proven winner at every level of the sport. 

In fact, he's never had a losing record as a coach, dating back 20 years to his first season at Sioux Falls. He's nowhere near the hot seat, and he shouldn't be. It is clear, though, that he's not going to take Alabama where it wants to go. 

Maybe Alabama fans need to reset their expectations in the wake of Nick Saban's retirement. Saban is one of one. It's absurd to expect anyone to match the standard set by the greatest coach to ever grace college football. 

But there are some recurring issues that will severely limit Alabama's upside beyond occasional College Football Playoff appearances. Saturday's 23-21 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma was a microcosm of the problems that have plagued DeBoer. 

Alabama's offensive line continues to under-perform relative to talent level. The Crimson Tide don't have a run game to speak of, which is an especially tough pill to swallow when, injuries aside, former top rushing option Justice Haynes is having a great year at Michigan. 

Offensive consistency has escaped Alabama during DeBoer's tenure. Quarterback Ty Simpson has been mostly excellent this season, and he provides a more stable floor than Jalen Milroe did. But, like Milroe, when Simpson is off, he's very off. He was off against the Sooners with multiple misses in key situations. It was reminiscent of the Simpson that appeared in Alabama's season-opening loss to Florida State. 

Jake Dickert was the best hire during 2024-25 carousel 

Last year's coaching carousel was relatively quiet -- especially in comparison to its chaotic spinning this season. But there were a few headline-grabbing moves, such as North Carolina's stunning decision to hire Bill Belichick, Scott Frost's return to UCF and Dan Mullen breaking back into coaching at UNLV. 

There was enough going on that former Washington State coach Jake Dickert's move to Wake Forest went largely unnoticed. It's becoming more apparent with each passing week that the Demon Deacons hit a grand slam with Dickert. He didn't command the spotlight, but he is the best first-year coach in college football. 

He had big shoes to fill by replacing Dave Clawson while simultaneously inheriting a Wake Forest program that won just three ACC games from 2023-24. It hasn't taken him long to turn things around. Wake Forest improved to 7-3 with a Week 12 win over Belichick's Tar Heels. That includes four victories against conference opponents, which is the most that the Demon Deacons have had sine 2021. 

This is one week after Wake Forest went on the road and downed No. 12 Virginia, handing the Cavaliers their first ACC loss of the season. That represented Wake Forest's highest-ranked road win in almost 50 years -- the Demon Deacons beat No. 12 Georgia in 1979. Dickert's side is also responsible for SMU's only conference loss thus far. 

The future is bright in Winston-Salem with Dickert leading the charge. 

Kewan Lacy is the most underrated player in college football 

No. 7 Ole Miss found a transfer portal diamond in running back Kewan Lacy, who spent his freshman season at Missouri before taking his talents to Oxford. Landing Lacy was a program-defining move for the Rebels and coach Lane Kiffin. 

For all of his success at Ole Miss, Kiffin's tenure with the Rebels has often been marred by letdowns. Ole Miss seemed like a surefire College Football Playoff team last season until it lost to a pair of lesser opponents in Kentucky and Florida. A road loss to unranked LSU in 2022 sent the Rebels spiraling from a 7-0 start to 1-5 in their last six games. 

It's a pattern that was likely on the minds of Ole Miss fans as their favorite team kicked off against Florida Saturday evening. And, if it wasn't for Lacy, the Rebels may suffered an all-too familiar fate. 

He almost singlehandedly downed the Gators while rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. By comparison, Florida had 108 yards rushing as a team. 

That brought Lacy's season-long rushing touchdown total to 19, which is an Ole Miss record. Thanks to Lacy, Ole Miss' path to the playoff is still wide open. 

Makai Lemon will win the Biletnikoff Award 

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is playing better than any wide receiver in the nation right now. He's certainly made a lot of money for himself in a draft year. Lemon has solidified his status as a first-round prospect and there's an argument to be made that he should be the first skill position star taken off the board come April. 

Don't let Lemon's 5-foot-11 frame fool you -- he is a contested catch specialist with excellent route running chops. Throw it anywhere near Lemon and there's a good chance that he'll come down with it. He had several jaw-dropping snags in No. 17 USC's 26-21 win against No. 21 Iowa Saturday. 

Lemon had 10 catches for 153 yards and one score against the Hawkeyes, which put him over 1,000 yards for the year. It was his third game this season with at least 150 yards through the air. He's reached that mark three times since conference play began. 

Lemon will have some stiff award season competition from Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Ohio State's phenomenal wide receiver duo, and the likes of Louisville's Chris Bell. But his name will ultimately be the one etched on the Biletnikoff Award.