New Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer announced his arrival to the SEC with authority on Saturday night by doing something that very few coaches in the sport have managed to accomplish.
DeBoer, who was hired to replace Nick Saban in January after the legendary head coach retired, led Alabama to an impressive 41-34 win against Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, fending off a late a rally by UGA to hold on to the win.
The former Washington Huskies head coach had Alabama prepared from the start, jumping out to an early 28-0 lead in the first half.
When Georgia rallied late in the second half, DeBoer kept his team poised and they punched back with one of the most impressive receiving touchdowns you'll see all season (via true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, who is only 17 years old).
DeBoer is now one of seven active coaches that can claim a win against Smart and the Bulldogs.
Here's a list of the other six:
- Hugh Freeze — 2016 Ole Miss 45 Georgia 14 (now the HC at Auburn)
- Butch Jones — 2016 Tennessee 34 Georgia 31 (now the HC at Arkansas State)
- Derek Mason — 2016 Vanderbilt 17 Georgia 16 (now the HC at MTSU)
- Jim McElwain — 2016 Florida 24 Georgia 10 (now the HC at Central Michigan)
- Gus Malzahn — 2017 Auburn 40 Georgia 17 (now the HC at UCF)
- Tom Herman — 2018 Texas 28 Georgia 21 (now the HC at Florida Atlantic)
It was an incredibly impressive SEC debut by DeBoer. But the narrative that has already started about DeBoer -- that he's going to pick up where Saban left off and continue the Bama dynasty -- is a little premature. And it's a bit unfair to DeBoer.
There's no doubt that DeBoer showed that he's ready for life in the SEC on Saturday night.
But the comparisons to Saban and the speculation about how DeBoer's time at Alabama will play out is completely absurd. And it's incredibly pointless.
We're on chapter 1 of the DeBoer at Bama story and folks are trying to skip to the end instead of just enjoying the journey. Absolutely no one knows how DeBoer will fare at Alabama. He might win five national championships over the next 10 years. Or he might win zero. DeBoer might overtake Saban as the best head coach in Alabama history. Or he might prove to be the Crimson Tide's version of Larry Coker .
It's frustrating that this is what college football has become. Everything has to be a "statement game" or a predictor of what might happen in the future, instead of just enjoying the season as it unfolds.
DeBoer shouldn't be held to Saban's standards. And his accomplishments shouldn't be immediately be compared to Saban's. Let DeBoer create his own legacy. Let him write his own story.
What happened to just enjoying the season without analyzing what we think is going to happen for the next five years? There's still two months of college football left in 2024!!! Alabama could drop a game they're not supposed to. Or maybe they don't. We have no idea what's going to happen. And spending time predicting what's going to happen is a complete waste of time. The only thing it accomplishes is heated debate on the internet (I mean, who saw Ole Miss losing to Kentucky....that was penciled in as a win for the Rebels on hundreds of preseason prediction lists....all of which are completely meaningless in retrospect).
DeBoer worked hard to get this opportunity. Let's just see where it goes. And let's stop comparing every move he makes to Nick Saban. DeBoer deserves to create his own legacy without having to meet the expectations of what everyone thinks he will accomplish during his time leading the Crimson Tide.
It's a nice start for DeBoer, but it's only the first chapter.
Related: Oklahoma vs Auburn provided a moment that college football fans have likely never seen before
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