5 things to know about Alabama football before the 2024 season
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College football officially begins with a few games this weekend but you’ll still have to wait another week before seeing any SEC teams in action.
In the meantime, we want to get you prepared for the season by taking a look at what you need to know about the six FBS schools in the state. And we’ll get started with the Crimson Tide.
Alabama is going through its first coaching change in nearly two decades but expectations are still sky high. Keep reading to find out five key things to know before kickoff.
1. Who is Kalen DeBoer?
When Nick Sabam retired in January, Alabama fans were worried about how anyone could possibly follow the greatest college football coach of all time. While some of those concerns remain, Kalen DeBoer has answered the call about as well as anyone could before taking the field.
DeBoer has won at every coaching stop during his career, dating all the way back to the Division III level. His career records include:
- Sioux Falls: 67-3, 3 NAIA Championships
- Fresno State: 12-6
- Washington: 25-3, 1 Pac-12 Championship, 1 College Football Playoff appearance
In his final year with the Huskies, he won multiple national coach of the year awards and made it one step further in the playoff than Saban + the Crimson Tide did before also losing to Michigan.
2. What to expect from Jalen Milroe
One of the most anticipated impacts DeBoer can have on this Alabama team is how he can develop quarterback Jalen Milroe. After making a name for himself during the second half of the 2023 season, Milroe is now a Heisman candidate entering his second year as a full-time starter.
Quarterbacks under DeBoer have taken major strides in the past and some are expecting the same thing to happen with Milroe. But one issue that Milroe could have that past Alabama quarterbacks did not is finding a go-to target.
Alabama’s offense is not packed to the brim with skill players like it has been in previous seasons but there’s still some guys who can make some noise including:
- Running back Jam Miller
- Running back Justice Haynes
- Wide receiver Germie Bernard
- Wide receiver Kobe Prentice
- Wide receiver Ryan Williams
Their success will have a direct impact on Milroe’s individual success and, of course, to the Tide’s success as a whole.
3. Early-season challenges
A lot of the Nick Saban era was defined by blowout victories at neutral site season openers but DeBoer’s first season will have a different layout.
While the Crimson Tide should ease into a 2-0 start, which includes a home game to dedicate Saban Field, a trip to Big Ten country in Week 3 could put a dent in Alabama’s season. That is quickly followed by a visit from the nation’s top-ranked team on Sept. 28. Here’s a look at the schedule:
- Western Kentucky, 8/31
- South Florida, 9/7
- at Wisconsin, 9/14
- Georgia, 9/28
- at Vanderbilt, 10/5
- South Carolina, 10/12
- at Tennessee, 10/19
- Missouri, 10/26
- at LSU, 11/9
- Mercer, 11/16
- at Oklahoma, 11/23
- Auburn, 11/30
The rest of the year includes trips to Knoxville, Baton Rouge and Norman but a pair of losses in the first four games would certainly cause the pressure to build on DeBoer’s debut.
4. Can Alabama continue its success in the new SEC?
There’s no denying Alabama has been the most successful team in the conference over the last 15 years but with the SEC’s recent expansion, can the Tide keep it going?
The SEC will feature 16 teams for the first time ever with powerhouse programs Texas and Oklahoma joining. With it, the conference will also lose its division format which means strength of schedule can vary more than ever between teams.
The top two teams in the conference standings after the 8-game SEC schedule will advance to Atlanta for the title game. During SEC Media Days, Georgia was picked to win with Texas finishing second and Alabama sitting in third.
5. Playoff or bust?
There were rumblings back at the beginning of the year that fans would have to give Kalen DeBoer some time to have his own success at Alabama. Everyone knows Nick Saban is an impossible act to follow and there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it.
However, it’s been about as good of an offseason as the Crimson Tide could have hoped for. Now, the team is ranked #5 in both preseason polls which means the expectations remain high.
Plus, the 2024 season is the first to feature an expanded 12-team playoff that will feature:
- 5 highest ranked conference champions
- 7 highest ranked teams remaining
By all accounts, preseason rankings + fan expectations, Alabama should be in that playoff in December. But if they aren’t, how hot will DeBoer’s seat become?
If you’re an Alabama fan, what are you most looking forward to this season? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
