"The third one is always tough": Veteran CFB insider issues high alert message to Kalen DeBoer as Alabama takes on SEC rival in Week 7

Alabama is officially back on track after Kalen DeBoer and the team secured back-to-back wins against the Georgia Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 5 and Week 6, respectively. Now, the challenge lies in how effectively they manage to sustain the momentum. This upcoming weekend, they will have Missouri on the road and coach Eliah Drinkwitz is not going to let it pass easy, as the Tigers have been unbeaten this season.

According to college football analyst Rece Davis, DeBoer and Co. needs to be careful and there is a high chance Bama could fumble if things are not taken seriously.

The veteran insider was speaking on the College GameDay podcast this week, where he pondered upon Alabama's run so far. He claimed that Missouri’s defense and a strong offensive run will be a big challenge. They have been quietly building the resume and are currently ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll.

“One quick thing about Alabama coming into this week — this is set up for Missouri beautifully. It’s a perfect setup for Missouri. You had the back-against-the-wall Georgia game and came through. Then you had the revenge motif against Vanderbilt, with all the strife and the yapping with Diego Pavia. They got that done,” Davis explained on the podcast this week.

NCAA Football: Alabama at Georgia - Source: Imagn

He mentioned that winning against two giant opponents in consecutive weeks might have been easy. But the third one is always tough to convert.

“Now, you go to Missouri — you know they’re really good, they’re unbeaten. You’ve got that early kickoff, 11 a.m. Central time. Trying to get up emotionally for the third week in a row — that’s the thing. This is purely anecdotal, but I think the third one is always tough,” he added.

Kalen DeBoer locks his sight on Week 7 matchup

Eliah Drinkwitz and his team are coming off a bye week. Not to mention, they are better prepared with sufficient time for practice and recalibration.

While speaking to the reporters on Tuesday, Coach DeBoer didn't shy away from giving Missouri due credit and challenges ahead. However, he mentioned that the team is ready and are going through a hard reset.

“It's a hard reset this week going into Missouri. I think our guys understood that on Sunday, just making that and flipping the switch to where we gotta move forward. We got a very good football team coming off a bye week. We gotta play an 11 o'clock kickoff and on the road,” DeBoer said.

With just a single loss, Bama is on track to contend for the playoff. Every game going forward is crucial to keep their postseason aspirations alive. Expect DeBoer and team to finish off 2025 with a 10+ win record.