Pressure will lift on Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Kalen DeBoer when ...

Pressure, of the most intense kind, is part of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program. New Alabama head man Kalen DeBoer has it. So too did Nick Saban. No Crimson Tide head coach, no matter the extent of success or failure can escape the unrelenting pressure.

In Tuscaloosa, a national championship is an every-season goal. And it is the standard by which every season's success is measured.

Kalen DeBoer has never experienced anything like it before. Not only does he carry the burden of the Alabama standard, but he carries it immediately following college football's greatest-ever coach. For Alabama football fans the good news is every indication so far, Kalen DeBoer was a perfect choice to face such challenge.

Not everyone agrees. Eyeballs are attracted to stories claiming the Crimson Tide is sure to slip under DeBoer. Unfortunately, the theme will likely remain popular until the Alabama Crimson Tide, under Kalen DeBoer wins multiple national championships.

For example, labeled an ESPN Insider, Courtney Cronin, recently opined "Let’s say they (Alabama) struggle in some of those early games. The first two weeks, non-conference programs at home. They shouldn’t have any problem with that. But then the Wisconsin game on the road and then having Georgia come to town. If Alabama loses those games, and if this team struggles, Nick Saban’s going to have to talk about that on College GameDay. Kalen DeBoer won’t be able to escape the Nick Saban shadow in which he’s already in. Can you imagine how loud that noise is going to get?"

Yes, there would be loud, negative noise. The Alabama program has been there before. In 1990, Gene Stallings opened his Alabama head coaching tenure with three losses. Some Alabama fans wanted his head, and Stallings was not following coaching legend, Paul 'Bear' Bryant; Stallings was following seven mostly disappointing seasons of Alabama football led by Ray Perkins and Bill Curry. Stallings survived and led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 National Championship.

Alabama Crimson Tide Fans and Conjecture

Alabama Crimson Tide fans can also play the conjecture game. We could say history will repeat itself in Tuscaloosa and within three seasons Alabama and Kalen DeBoer will, like Gene Stallings, win a national championship. I will add that if history does not repeat itself, it will not be because Kalen DeBoer could not handle the pressure.

The Crimson Tide may fall short of its goals in the 2024 season. If it does, it will have nothing to do with pressure.