We’ll learn a lot more about Kalen DeBoer and Alabama soon

It’s still early, but Alabama football fans have little to complain about.

Kalen DeBoer walked into the most demanding job in sports and is thriving. Nick Saban’s successor is 3-0, including a 42-10 victory at Wisconsin on Sept. 14. As good as DeBoer has been in his first season, we’ll learn more about him soon.

No. 4 Alabama has two weeks to prepare for its SEC home showdown against No. 2 Georgia (3-0). The Bulldogs, who also have a bye week, looked shaky in escaping with a 13-12 triumph at Kentucky. If the Crimson Tide can topple the national championship favorite, we’ll know that DeBoer has a legit title contender of his own in his first season on the job.

Yes, Alabama is always expected to be in the title hunt every year. Yes, the Crimson Tide were ranked No. 5 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll. But every school goes through a transition period with a coaching change. There are obstacles to overcome and culture shifts, even for a prestigious program such as Alabama, especially after the departure of the greatest coach in college football history.

To be clear, nobody is questioning DeBoer’s coaching credentials. He took Washington to unprecedented heights as it reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season. However, expectations at what was a second-tier Pac-12 program are not the same as expectations at Alabama. Plus, DeBoer lacked SEC experience.

The Crimson Tide lost 39 transfers in part due to Saban’s retirement. Safety Caleb Downs, now at Ohio State, was among the biggest losses. And while DeBoer brought in 14 transfers, including left tackle Kadyn Proctor (Iowa) and wide receiver Germie Bernard (Washington), trying to keep going what Saban built over 17 years at Alabama will be a challenge. No matter how this season turns out.

DeBoer came to Alabama with the reputation of being an offensive guru. So far, he has delivered. The Crimson Tide are seventh in the nation in scoring (49.0) and have scored at least 42 points in every game. They averaged “just” 31.5 last season. Credit DeBoer for the improvement; also, Alabama has an established quarterback.

Jalen Milroe (8 touchdowns, no interception) looks like a veteran after enduring growing pains last year. The redshirt junior also has a new weapon. Ryan Williams might be the best true freshman in the nation. Only 17 years old, he is already being talked about as the next great Alabama wide receiver, joining the likes of Amari Cooper, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, etc.

Alabama and Georgia are in an interesting spot this weekend. Georgia was denied entry to the College Football Playoff last season after losing to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship. But now with the playoff field expanded from four to 12 schools, the loser of this game is still alive to win it all.

But for DeBoer, this contest will serve as a litmus test. Can he keep the success rolling? Or will fans have doubt, especially if Alabama falls at home by double-digits?

“It’s the SEC opener for us,” DeBoer said on The Rich Eisen Show . “They’ve already played one game, a hard-fought game with Kentucky. For us, it’s getting off on the right foot with the SEC schedule. Certainly, I have nothing but great respect for coach (Kirby) Smart and Georgia’s program. …This matchup has always been one that means a lot for both programs.”

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