Alabama Football and appreciating Nick Saban

Coach Nick Saban’s tenure as the head coach for Alabama Football was historically dominant. So dominant that the University had the challenge of finding someone that wasn’t afraid to follow the act, which they did in Kalen DeBoer.  

DeBoer’s first month at the helm went off without a hitch. The coaching transition appeared to be seamless, but the honeymoon phase is suddenly over after a shocking loss at Vanderbilt. 

Saban’s teams won six national titles in a 12 year span, frequently running good teams off the field and making them quit. Alabama’s win over Georgia to open its 2024 SEC schedule, and its first half performance in particular, showed that DeBoer’s first team in Tuscaloosa has a ceiling that can match those Saban-era teams. 

However, just a week later, Bama nation has been dealt a painful reminder of what made Saban special. With the exception of his first season, Saban’s teams played to a standard that made them virtually impervious to losing to teams with such inferior talent. 

DeBoer’s squad didn’t just fall short of that standard, they completely disrespected it. This loss is disturbing in itself, but other apparent cultural issues that bubbled to the surface throughout the game are perhaps even more concerning. 

Unfortunately, we won’t know the true makeup of this Alabama Football team until it plays again next Saturday. It’s important to remember that this is still the same team that beat Georgia. Its ceiling remains that of a national title contender. However, it proved on national television that its floor is lower than that of any Nick Saban-coached Alabama team. 

For the last 16 years, opponents had to meet a certain level of quality to even have a chance to upset the Crimson Tide. Vanderbilt is much improved, but they don’t meet that minimum. Alabama is not invincible anymore, at least not until some changes are made. 

This is an opportunity for Coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff to learn a very valuable lesson. Consistency of performance was the defining quality of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, and DeBoer won’t meet the lofty expectations of the Alabama fan base until he figures that out.