The 2024 college football season was memorable due to significant changes in the sport. These included the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four teams to twelve and various teams switching conferences.

While these changes brought excitement, not everyone was pleased with the season’s outcome. One such team is the Alabama Crimson Tide. This marked the first season without legendary coach Nick Saban on the sidelines since 2006. The Crimson Tide finished with a record of 9-4, missing the College Football Playoff.

Alabama experienced some highs, such as victories over the Georgia Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers, all of whom finished the season ranked. However, there were also lows, including losses to the Vanderbilt Commodores, Oklahoma Sooners and Michigan Wolverines, all of whom concluded the season with five or more losses.

One reason for the disappointment was the performance of quarterback Jalen Milroe. Milroe had respectable statistics for the season, completing 2,844 passing yards along with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 726 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. However, on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum expressed that he would have benched Milroe at the end of the season because of his subpar play.

“He has been great,” Finebaum said. “But he’s never been consistent. Frankly, I would have pulled him late in the year. I would. I had enough. Personally, he’s a really good guy, but he was not doing the job.”

Milroe did not finish the season strong. In his last five games, he threw for 907 yards, recorded three touchdowns and threw five interceptions while completing 58.6% of his passes. During this period, Alabama had a record of 3-2, with both losses coming against teams that had lost five or more games.

The game against the Oklahoma Sooners was arguably his worst performance of the season, ultimately costing Alabama a spot in the College Football Playoff. Milroe completed only 42.3% of his passes, accumulating 164 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. The Crimson Tide lost that game 24-3, which eliminated them from playoff contention.

He is now preparing for the NFL draft, which begins on April 24. Athlon Sports has ranked him as the third-best quarterback eligible for the draft, suggesting he could be selected as a first-round pick.