Days after many questioned why the Alabama Crimson Tide were given a No. 5 ranking in the first rankings release by the College Football Playoff selection committee, Kalen DeBoer's squad quieted the doubters, earning a 31-13 win on the road against No. 14 LSU.

The win was one of the best of the DeBoer era, put the Crimson Tide at 7-2 before getting set to play Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Auburn to finish the season. Alabama pretty much clinched a CFP berth with the win.

During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic, ESPN's Paul Finebaum provided analysis on DeBoer and Kiffin. He said "smart people" had already realized DeBoer is an elite coach. The issue for Crimson Tide fans is deciding if he fits what they want. The win over LSU should make Alabama fans realize he can win the big games.

The LSU win was a huge boost for DeBoer. But the double-digit loss at Tennessee still stings many Crimson Tide fans. However, Finebaum made sure to stick with the LSU script.

Finebaum thinks the media propped up LSU a little too much before Saturday's game. He then levied criticism at Kiffin and the media, saying the controversial head coach is unable to beat the Crimson Tide, and might never beat Alabama before he calls it a career. He thinks DeBoer took care of business against Kiffin in a way that even Nick Saban might have struggled to do.

The last two wins have been big for Alabama. The Crimson Tide had a convincing win over Texas A&M and destroyed LSU. Certainly, Kiffin has serious issues with the Tigers. They're not as good as many expected them to be before the season or when they annihilated Clemson in Week 1.

With that being said, DeBoer doesn’t have a perfect resume this season. The three-point loss in a controversial finish against Georgia isn't a blight. But a 26-10 loss to Tennessee, a game where the Volunteers had not solved their quarterback situation, was not a good look for DeBoer. That's a game Saban could have won in his sleep.

He'll have plenty more opportunities to win big games this season. Alabama has a roster capable of making a deep run in the College Football Playoff. For the Crimson Tide to have a shot at the national championship, he'll have to have his guys ready to play at a high level consistently, something we have yet to see.

Source: Yahoo Sports