Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer will make his Southeastern Conference debut on Saturday when the No. 4 Crimson Tide hosts No. 1 Georgia in one of the most anticipated regular season matchups ever.
Ahead of the SEC heavyweight bout, DeBoer appeared on ESPN's "College GameDay" to be interviewed by the likes of Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, and of course, his predecessor, Nick Saban. Davis asked DeBoer about the most significant conversation he shared with Saban during the transition period.
"I think it was probably the morning of everything happening," DeBoer said. "I just think that conversation I had with Coach [Saban], just feeling how he felt about things and knowing that I kind of had a peace in my heart that the transition would be smooth and that I'd have the grace from him to be able to go take over and still be able to embrace everything that he's done for this program."
Saban had a much more honest explanation for why the transition period from himself to DeBoer was so smooth.
"They were just ready to get rid of my ass," Saban said, drawing laughs from DeBoer and the rest of the GameDay crew. Saban then asked DeBoer what has been the most significant thing he's learned so far, and his answer was quite Saban-esque.
"I'm very confident in our consistent preparation," DeBoer said. "Preparation throughout the week leads us to a confidence that's within, that's real and I believe in that. I love the way that our upperclassmen scattered throughout the team have done a great job bringing the youth along, knowing the importance that they have and helping them get ready for Saturday to be confident there."
DeBoer was named the next head coach of the Crimson Tide two days after Nick Saban announced his retirement, and so far, he's done everything right. He's said the right things, made the right roster moves and won his first three games convincingly.
But today's game was always circled as DeBoer's first true test. Not only is it his first SEC game, but it comes against the best the conference has to offer. Georgia has been on a dominant run in the last few years under Kirby Smart , winning national championships in 2021 and 2022. Saban stopped his former defensive coordinator from three-peating by knocking off the Bulldogs in the 2023 SEC Championship, adding even more intrigue to today's matchup as Smart and his Bulldogs seek to avenge that loss.
No. 1 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT from Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer fields questions from Nick Saban on "College GameDay"
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