Alabama
Kalen DeBoer Explains Alabama’s New A-Day Format
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For years, Alabama’s annual spring game featured a matchup between the Crimson team and the White team. But in Kalen DeBoer’s first season, the new Crimson Tide head coach is switching things up.
Instead of Crimson vs. White, it will be offense vs. defense without pre-divided teams. DeBeor explained his reasoning during Thursday evening’s press conference.
“I like to look at as practice No. 15,” DeBoer said. “We’ll see a lot of great scrimmaging out there, but it’s a chance for us to get better. It’s a chance for us to take a next step, a chance for us to evaluate as well. And so try to get down to the bare bones of really trying to play some football. It gives us a chance to really also celebrate what we’re doing and where we’re at and enjoy the moment with the fans.”
Much to the delight of the players, not all spring game traditions are going away. Even though the scoring and team divisions will be a little different, there will still be a “winner” and “loser” on A-Day with both sides being able to score points with the score being kept on the field. And DeBoer plans on upholding the tradition of the steak and beans dinner with steak and all the fixings for the winners, and beans and hot dogs for the losers.
“There’s traditions that the guys bring up that have certainly been important, that they feel strong about,” DeBoer said. “I’m still learning some of those, things that maybe haven’t come up yet. You’re still learning some of those really neat things that are important to these guys because it’s happened in the program for many years.”
In Nick Saban’s first A-Day at Alabama in the spring of 2007, more than 90,000 fans filled out Bryant-Denny Stadium, and DeBoer hopes to see a similar environment this weekend when the Crimson Tide takes the field at 3 p.m. for the annual spring scrimmage.
“Excited to see a packed stadium there and looking forward to seeing everyone come and support our program.”
There are few Cinderella stories remaining in the AHSAA 2025 high school football playoffs.
Class 5A Scottsboro is the only unranked team remaining in the race to get to Birmingham’s Protective Stadium next week. The Wildcats host Moody tonight.
Semifinal predictions
Mobile on deck for Super 7
Black Friday features 13 unbeaten teams and three rematches as the field narrows to the final 14 teams. Thompson and Opelika are already in the finals in Class 7A. Who joins them tonight in the other classes?
Check back frequently for highlights from across the state. At the end of the night, the complete scorelist and Super 7 pairings will be available.
Here we go. …
8:38 PM, Devils doing it: Maplesville pushes its lead over Leroy to 24-6 with 10:05 to play in the third period on a 3-yard Nehemiah McCray TD run. The Red Devils and Bears are both 13-0 in 1A this season. … Muscle Shoals’ kicker Jorge Garcia kicked a 45-yard field goal with 8:46 left in the third period to cut Clay-Chalkville’s lead to 22-13. … Jackson leads St. Michael 23-15 at the half.
8:31 PM, All for naught: Tucker Tomlinson jumped on a fumbled punt return to put St. Michael in business at Jackson’s 14-yard line, but the Aggies held when the Cardinals go for it on fourth-and-10. Jackson leads 23-15 with 2:21 left in the half. … Mars Hill leads Piedmont 35-16 at the half. … Bayside leads Southside-Selma 21-8 with 8:37 left in the half. … From Opelika-Auburn News, Lanett has forced 4 turnovers and allowed Reeltown 86 yards in the first half. Lanett is up 21-0. … Addison cuts Wadley’s lead to 14-8 in the third period.
8:14 PM, No. 1 narrows No. 2’s lead: St. Michael’s Noah Moss rambled in for a short TD and Gunner Rivers hit Braedyn Walton for a 2-point PAT to trim Jackson’s lead to 23-15 with 8 minutes left in the first half. … Saraland has lost 3 fumbles, but still leads Benjamin Russell 14-7 at the half.
8:05 PM, Saraland scramble: The second-ranked Class 6A Spartans lead No. 4 Benjamin Russell 14-7 on a 10-yard scramble by Jamison Roberts. The defense set up the score with an INT. … Clay-Chalkville goes in at halftime up 22-10 over Muscle Shoals thanks to a TD pass with 13 seconds remaining. … Coosa Christian is creeping up, now trailing Pisgah 22-20. … Maplesville leads Leroy 17-6 at the half. … Plainview’s Brody Hodges knots the score with Anniston at 14 on a 1-yard run with 3:08 left in the half at Rainsville. … Moody leads Scottsboro 21-10 with 3:28 left in the half as Aidden White hauls in a long TD pass.
7:55 PM, Frye and more Frye: Clay-Chalkville quarterback Aaron Frye puts the visitors up 15-10 over Muscle Shoals with 5:40 left in the half. Frye scored on a draw dead up the middle from 5 yards out for the TD and then walked in around left end for the 2-point conversion after a huge clear out block. … Pisgah leads Coosa Christian 22-13 and Lanett is up 14-0 over Reeltown. … Jackson leads St. Michael 23-7 with 52 seconds left in the first quarter. … Piedmont scores and makes a 2-point PAT, but trails Mars Hill Bible 35-16 with 2:27 left in the half. … Maplesville extends its lead over Leroy to 17-6 on a 9-yard run by Nehemiah McCray with 37 seconds left in the half.
7:47 PM, Back and forth in 1A: No. 2 Maplesville is back on top over No. 3 Leroy 10-6 after a 3-yard run by Jedaiah Works with 3:47 left before the half. … Moody leads Scottsboro 14-7 at the end of the first period. … Wadley has increased its lead over Addison to 14-0 in the second quarter. … Anniston leads Plainview 14-7 with 10:11 left in the half on Damon Pope’s 9-yard run.
7:42 PM, Stalemate, so far: No. 3 Vigor and No. 1 Williamson are tied at 14 with 10:59 left in the half in one 5A semifinal. Sammy Dunn hit Zy Wilson for a 38-yard TD pass and Dylan Jackson on an 18-yarder for the Wolves. Williamson’s Jamarcus Lett scored on a 1-yard run, Todrick Withers had a 3-yard scoring run and an Ellis McGaskin 2-point run tied it up. … Leroy leads Maplesville 6-4 with 6:09 left in the first half after a Jace Sellers 16-yard pass to Tanner Rivers.
7:33 PM, Trojans horse: Quarterback Kade Clemmons raced 43 yards around the left side to put Muscle Shoals up 10-7 over Clay-Chalkville with 1:43 left in the first period. … Anniston takes an 8-7 lead over Plainview on a 6-yard run by Jamorris Young and a 2-point conversion pass from Damon Pope to Kaleb Moore with 5:44 left in the first. … Wadley leads Addison 8-0 after one period. … Mars Hill is rolling over Piedmont at 21-0 in the first quarter.
7:28 PM, Points and more points: Landon Duckworth hit Red Chapman with a 48-yard touchdown pass and EJ Crowell ran for a 2-point conversion to give Jackson an 8-0 lead over St. Michael. … Moody’s Jake Lowery throws to Aubrey Walker for an 18-yard score to tie the game with Scottsboro at 7 with 6:54 left in the first quarter. … Noah Cain runs 4 yards for a Bayside Academy TD with 4:22 left in the first to put the Admirals up 13-0 over Southside-Selma. … Lanett leads Reeltown 7-0 and Pisgah is up 14-0 over Coosa Christian.
7:22 PM, Safety first. And second: Maplesville leads Leroy 4-0 at the end of the first quarter after a punt snap sailed out of the end zone and then the swarming Red Devils tackled a Leroy receiver in the end zone. … Colton Harding finds Conner Vaden for a 40-yard touchdown to put Scottsboro up 7-0 over Moody with 9:58 left in the first quarter. … Jorge Garcia booted a 25-yard field goal to narrow Clay-Chalkville’s lead over Muscle Shoals to 7-3 with 6:44 left in the first. The Cougars stiffened after Jashad Samples returned Clay-Chalkville’s kickoff after its TD 75 yards.
7:11 PM, Plainview, Clay-Chalkville on the board: Owen Hope races 55 yards to put 4A No. 5 Plainview up 7-0 over No. 4 Anniston in Rainsville. In Muscle Shoals, Clay-Chalkville took the opening kickoff and worked its way to the end zone with 8:50 left in the first period. Aaron Frye hit Josh Woods for an 8-yard TD on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line. It’s 7-0, Cougars over the Trojans.
6 PM, Moving on up: Auburn commit Jaquez Wilkes continues to move up in the Best in Bama, AL.com’s list of the top recruits in the state regardless of classification. Alabama commit EJ Crowell is still No. 1 entering tonight’s game at St. Michael. See who else made a move this week on AL.com.
5 PM, Breaking down the finals: 13 unbeaten teams, 3 rematches and 1 unranked Cinderella story. Get a breakdown of all 12 state semifinal games on AL.com before they start.
AHSAA SEMIFINALS
CLASS 6A
Benjamin Russell (12-1) at Saraland (12-0)
Clay-Chalkville (13-0) at Muscle Shoals (12-0)
CLASS 5A
Vigor (11-2) at Williamson (13-0)
Moody (11-2) at Scottsboro (9-4)
CLASS 4A
Jackson (11-2) at St. Michael (13-0)
Anniston (13-0) at Plainview (13-0)
CLASS 3A
Southside-Selma (13-0) at Bayside Academy (12-1)
Piedmont (13-0) at Mars Hill Bible (13-0)
CLASS 2A
Reeltown (10-3) at Lanett (11-2)
Coosa Christian (11-2) at Pisgah (11-2)
CLASS 1A
Leroy (13-0) at Maplesville (13-0)
Wadley (12-0) at Addison (12-1)
This post will be updated
Iron Bowl 2025 is here, as SEC title and playoff hopeful Alabama hits the road looking to avoid a third loss against rival Auburn, hoping to simply become bowl eligible.
Alabama has never been ranked in the top-ten and lost on the road against an unranked Auburn team, and this time around the Tide have a shot at reaching the SEC Championship Game.
Auburn has history on its side in a way, losing by a combined five points in their last two home games against the Crimson Tide, whose playoff hopes are considerably shakier now with two losses.
Looking ahead to this week’s matchup, let’s check out the latest college football predictions from the SP+ computer prediction model.
The model simulates every NCAA college football game and uses key analytics from both teams and picks winners based on a projected scoring margin per game.
The model predictably likes the Crimson Tide over the Tigers, but in a very close game.
SP+ predicts that Alabama will defeat Auburn by a projected score of 27 to 21 and will win the game by an expected margin of 6.0 points in the process.
The model gives the Crimson Tide a solid 65 percent chance against the Tigers outright.
SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”
How good is it this season? So far, the SP+ college football prediction model is 349-336 against the spread with a 50.9 win percentage. Last week, it was 29-31 (48.3%) in its picks against the spread.
The betting markets also favor the Crimson Tide, but by less than a touchdown on the road.
Alabama is a 5.5 point favorite against Auburn, according to the latest game lines posted to FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel lists the total at 46.5 points for the matchup, and set the moneyline odds for Alabama at -220 and for Auburn at +184 to win outright.
Ty Simpson has been the backbone of an efficient Alabama aerial attack, but has seen his efficiency slip in recent weeks heading into what could be an intense road environment.
Auburn does not have the same skill at quarterback, but have proven successful at running the football, albeit now into the teeth of a much improved Alabama run defense.
College Football HQ predicts: Alabama wins, and covers.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams
Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks
Thompson and Opelika are already in next week’s Super 7 championships at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.
The other 12 finalists will be decided Friday night in the Class 1A-6A semifinals.
Breaking down the semifinals
Round 4 news, notes, schedule
Thirteen teams are still undefeated heading into Round 4. The most surprising semifinalist is Scottsboro in Class 5A. The Wildcats are the only unranked team remaining. They host Moody with a chance to reach the finals.
Here is how the AL.com experts pick this week’s semifinal games:
CLASS 6A
Benjamin Russell (12-1) at Saraland (12-0)
Ben Thomas: Saraland 35-28
Dennis Victory: Saraland 42-28
Randy Kennedy: Saraland 35-33
John Vella: Saraland 36-24
Gerhard Mathangani: Saraland 31-28
Simone Eli: Saraland 34-20
Thomas Ashworth: Saraland 41-39
Clay-Chalkville (13-0) at Muscle Shoals (12-0)
Ben Thomas: Clay-Chalkville 21-14
Dennis Victory: Clay-Chalkville 31-30
Randy Kennedy: Clay-Chalkville 17-14
John Vella: Clay-Chalkville 32-30
Gerhard Mathangani: Clay-Chalkville 35-28
Simone Eli: Clay-Chalkville 27-17
Thomas Ashworth: Muscle Shoals 24-23
CLASS 5A
Vigor (11-2) at Williamson (13-0)
Ben Thomas: Williamson 20-12
Dennis Victory: Williamson 19-18
Randy Kennedy: Williamson 22-21
John Vella: Williamson 27-18
Gerhard Mathangani: Williamson 24-23
Simone Eli: Vigor 23-17
Thomas Ashworth: Vigor 24-23
Moody (11-2) at Scottsboro (9-4)
Ben Thomas: Moody 42-21
Dennis Victory: Moody 38-21
Randy Kennedy: Moody 41-24
John Vella: Moody 31-28
Gerhard Mathangani: Moody 38-31
Simone Eli: Moody 30-16
Thomas Ashworth: Moody 37-28
CLASS 4A
Jackson (11-2) at St. Michael (13-0)
Ben Thomas: Jackson 41-34
Dennis Victory: Jackson 51-50
Randy Kennedy: Jackson 43-42
John Vella: Jackson 40-33
Gerhard Mathangani: St. Michael 28-27
Simone Eli: St. Michael 38-35
Thomas Ashworth: Jackson 38-37
Anniston (13-0) at Plainview (13-0)
Ben Thomas: Anniston 28-17
Dennis Victory: Anniston 22-21
Randy Kennedy: Anniston 30-20
John Vella: Plainview 24-16
Gerhard Mathangani: Plainview 27-24
Simone Eli: Anniston 28-20
Thomas Ashworth: Anniston 34-23
CLASS 3A
Southside-Selma (13-0) at Bayside Academy (12-1)
Ben Thomas: Bayside Academy 31-23
Dennis Victory: Bayside Academy 24-22
Randy Kennedy: Bayside Academy 31-27
John Vella: Bayside Academy 30-28
Gerhard Mathangani: Bayside Academy 21-17
Simone Eli: Bayside Academy 24-23
Thomas Ashworth: Bayside Academy 34-31
Piedmont (13-0) at Mars Hill (13-0)
Ben Thomas: Mars Hill 38-30
Dennis Victory: Mars Hill 28-21
Randy Kennedy: Mars Hill 34-33
John Vella: Mars Hill 36-32
Gerhard Mathangani: Mars Hill 28-27
Simone Eli: Mars Hill 31-28
Thomas Ashworth: Mars Hill 37-35
CLASS 2A
Reeltown (10-3) at Lanett (11-2)
Ben Thomas: Reeltown 21-16
Dennis Victory: Reeltown 28-27
Randy Kennedy: Reeltown 20-19
John Vella: Reeltown 27-21
Gerhard Mathangani: Lanett 21-18
Simone Eli: Reeltown 34-27
Thomas Ashworth: Reeltown 31-27
Coosa Christian (11-2) at Pisgah (11-2)
Ben Thomas: Coosa Christian 33-17
Dennis Victory: Coosa Christian 35-28
Randy Kennedy: Coosa Christian 37-30
John Vella: Coosa Christian 39-28
Gerhard Mathangani: Coosa Christian 27-24
Simone Eli: Coosa Christian 42-21
Thomas Ashworth: Coosa Christian 20-16
CLASS 1A
Leroy (13-0) at Maplesville (13-0)
Ben Thomas: Maplesville 35-27
Dennis Victory: Maplesville 28-14
Randy Kennedy: Maplesville 20-10
John Vella: Maplesville 35-24
Gerhard Mathangani: Maplesville 14-7
Simone Eli: Maplesville 21-14
Thomas Ashworth: Maplesville 24-6
Wadley (12-0) at Addison (12-1)
Ben Thomas: Wadley 41-28
Dennis Victory: Wadley 38-28
Randy Kennedy: Wadley 35-15
John Vella: Wadley 45-30
Gerhard Mathangani: Wadley 21-18
Simone Eli: Wadley 38-17
Thomas Ashworth: Wadley 38-24
STANDINGS
Last week, overall
Ben Thomas 16-4, 212-68
Dennis Victory 15-5, 211-69
Randy Kennedy 14-6, 210-70
John Vella 15-5, 207-73
Gerhard Mathangani 13-7, 202-78
Simone Eli 16-4, 200-80
Thomas Ashworth 17-3, 198-82
Mountain West Reacts Results: Winning Week 14 Games
What a Loss Would Mean for North Carolina
What time, TV channel is the North Dakota vs Tennessee Tech FCS playoffs football game on today? Live stream, preview
How many days since Ohio State football last beat Michigan?
Iowa State football has 8 players listed as out vs. Oklahoma State
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Meet the Theremin, an Instrument You Don’t Have to Touch to Play
USCIS halts ‘all asylum decisions’ after DC shooting of National Guard members
Hong Kong mourns victims of blaze as search for remains continues
How a solar explosion grounded 6,000 Airbus planes globally
Video: National Guard Member Dies After Shooting Near White House
-
Science1 week agoWashington state resident dies of new H5N5 form of bird flu
-
Business4 days agoStruggling Six Flags names new CEO. What does that mean for Knott’s and Magic Mountain?
-
New York1 week agoDriver Who Killed Mother and Daughters Sentenced to 3 to 9 Years
-
World1 week agoUnclear numbers: What we know about Italian military aid to Ukraine
-
Politics2 days agoRep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power, adds to scrutiny of Trump official’s mortgage probes
-
Northeast1 week agoCamelot or Cringe?: Meet JFK’s grandson turned congressional candidate for the scrolling generation
-
Ohio3 days agoSnow set to surge across Northeast Ohio, threatening Thanksgiving travel
-
Southeast1 week agoAlabama teacher arrested, fired after alleged beating of son captured on camera