TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The college football world is bracing for a massive schedule shakeup. Multiple reports indicate the Alabama Crimson Tide are on the verge of scrapping their blockbuster home-and-home series with Ohio State, scheduled to kick off September 18, 2027, in Columbus. The reason? Fear. Specifically, the fear of suffering the same playoff fate that doomed the Texas Longhorns in 2025.
Sources close to the program suggest Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne is under immense pressure to protect Head Coach Kalen DeBoer, whose tenure has been rocky since taking over for Nick Saban. With the SEC moving to a punishing nine-game conference schedule this season, the appetite for a non-conference clash with the Buckeyes has reportedly vanished.
“Scared” of the Smoke?
The potential move has drawn sharp criticism from analysts who see it as a retreat from Alabama’s “championship or bust” standard. Former NFL tight end George Wrighster III didn’t mince words on The Unafraid Show, accusing the Tide of hypocrisy.
“I never thought I would see the day that Alabama would do something that Texas fans were just screaming and crying about this year, and that is cancel on Ohio State. We’ve heard from Paul Finebaum. We’ve heard from other Alabama sources that Alabama is thinking about cancelling the 2027 and 2028 non-conference games… and you know why? Because they’re scared.”
— George Wrighster III, The Unafraid Show
Wrighster’s comments highlight a growing sentiment: Alabama is trying to engineer an easier path to the 12-team playoff. After watching Texas go 9-3 and miss the postseason largely due to a brutal opening loss against these same Buckeyes, Alabama officials appear terrified of history repeating itself.
The 2025 Collapse & DeBoer’s Hot Seat
Context is king here. Kalen DeBoer enters the 2026 offseason with his back against the wall. The 2025 campaign ended on a sour note, with the Tide finishing 11-4 but suffering a humiliating “beat down” by Indiana in the Rose Bowl. That loss, combined with an opening-week defeat to Florida State, left fans questioning if DeBoer can maintain the program’s elite status.
If Alabama cancels, they face a logistical nightmare. New SEC guidelines mandate every team plays at least one Power Four opponent annually. Dropping the Buckeyes means DeBoer can’t simply schedule a relentless slate of cupcakes; he would have to find another formidable opponent on short notice, or risk violating conference bylaws.
Intel from Columbus: “The Game Lives On”
Despite the noise from Paul Finebaum and Mark Ingram—who openly questioned why Alabama would play the game on his podcast in December—not everyone is convinced the deal is dead. Former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter poured cold water on the rumors, citing his own sources deep within the Tuscaloosa media circuit.
“I did a radio hit yesterday with a friend of mine who lives down in Tuscaloosa… super tied to the program. He told me ‘he hadn’t heard yet that there was going to be any cancellation’ of this for the Bama vs. Ohio State series.”
— Bobby Carpenter, Former NFL Linebacker
What This Means for 2027
If this series is scrapped, it marks a sad turning point in the sport. The expansion of the playoff was supposed to encourage big games, not kill them. But if a 9-3 SEC team can miss the field because of a non-conference loss, ADs like Greg Byrne will choose survival over spectacle every time.
For now, the game remains on the schedule. But with DeBoer needing a bounce-back 2026 season to secure his future, don’t be shocked if the Tide decide that dodging the Buckeyes is the only way to stay afloat.
