You've probably heard some wins classified as "character" wins in sports. This Saturday in Lexington would qualify as such if Alabama can take care of business against Kentucky.
It'll be a hostile environment at Kroger Field, and this is precisely the type of game that the Crimson Tide has struggled in under Kalen DeBoer.
But this is a first-year Kentucky coaching staff, and while Will Stein worked the Transfer Portal heavily to increase the Wildcats' talent level, Alabama should still have a significant edge in that department when the two teams clash on Saturday afternoon.
Stein wants an early signature win to kickstart his tenure in Lexington. Alabama has to man up and not let him have it.
Unfortunately, Alabama has struggled in this precise scenario under DeBoer. The Crimson Tide currently sits as a double-digit favorite for this game. In six previous times when Alabama has been favored on the road under DeBoer, it has managed just a 3-3 record overall. That mark drops to 2-3 overall when you only include games as a double-digit favorite, which would exclude last season's Iron Bowl.
DeBoer won his first such game at Alabama, bludgeoning Wisconsin on the road in Week 2 of the 2024 season. But then Alabama dropped the next three, with losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma in 2024, and then another to open the season at Florida State in 2025.
Alabama bounced back and beat South Carolina as a road favorite last October, but trailed by seven with under three minutes to go before scoring two touchdowns in the last two and a half minutes to come out on top.
In last season's Iron Bowl, Alabama broke out to a 17-0 lead before Auburn battled back and tied the game at 20. A late Ty Simpson touchdown pass to Isaiah Horton helped the Crimson Tide avoid a debilitating loss.
Can Kalen DeBoer finally take care of business as a big road favorite at Alabama?
There are still a lot of questions about whether Kalen DeBoer is the right fit long-term as the head coach at Alabama. That question isn't just in the national media; there's still a large section of the fanbase that remains unconvinced.
This is the type of game that can help convince everyone.
Everyone knows DeBoer has a strong track record in marquee matchups. He's proven he can beat the best over the course of his time at both Alabama and Washington. But consistently beating the teams you're supposed to beat is a superpower in its own right.
It was certainly one of Nick Saban's. Saban went 124-4 in his 17 seasons at Alabama against unranked opponents. It took DeBoer just two seasons to match that number of losses.
He's got an early opportunity to put that fully behind him this week. There are other opportunities to come in the future, but getting through the first one is vital for the perception of his tenure in Tuscaloosa as well as the perception nationally about the Alabama program right now.
If Alabama wants to prove itself a legitimate contender, it needs to win this game going away on Saturday. Because, no disrespect to Kentucky, that's what real contenders would do against an opponent of their caliber.
Add us as a preferred source on Google