Kalen DeBoer living up to Nick Saban standard? The Athletic weighs in
Reading time: 3 minutes
Alabama has won three consecutive games against ranked opponents for the first time since 2016.
Kalen DeBoer has quickly regained the trust of many Alabama fans despite being close to the hot seat after an early loss to Florida State. The Tide is back into the Top 10, reaching its highest ranking of the season this week.
So is DeBoer getting closer to reaching the Alabama standard set during the Nick Saban era? The Athletic weighed in after the Tide’s recent win over Missouri.
Kalen DeBoer
David Ubben of The Athletic, which is a sports-specific outlet owned by the New York Times, looked at the postgame press conference from Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson following the close victory over Missouri.
Last season, DeBoer’s team showed flashes off greatness but when the performances dipped, the results suffered for it. That’s different from the Saban era when fans could shrug off a majority of games each season as easy victories.
Now, this year’s team has a different but still successful identity.
“There was a time not so long ago for Alabama football when a moment like that felt inevitable. Nick Saban’s Death Star would march on, squashing another team foolish enough to believe it could compete with the sport’s preeminent dynasty.
“Those days are gone. Alabama is no longer inevitable.
“But it’s still pretty effective. And on a day when it didn’t play its best game and the woulda, coulda, shouldas were plentiful, the Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 SEC) still beat a top-15 team on the road.”
David Ubben, The Athletic
In the press conference, DeBoer spoke about Ty Simpson, a player originally recruited by Saban + his staff, and the quarterback’s drive for perfection.
That standard is still there. And while it may be too early to say DeBoer will live up to that standard during his tenure, all the signs are there.
“Having the best coach in the history of the sport can make doing hard things look easy. Winning consistently in college football isn’t easy for anyone, no matter how talented the roster. And not much looks easy for Alabama anymore.
“But the Tide are still doing it.”
David Ubben, The Athletic
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