Kalen DeBoer Breaks Silence After Nick Saban Snubs Alabama Football from SEC Championship Pick

Earlier in the week Nick Saban turned heads after leaving the Alabama Crimson Tide out of his SEC Championship prediction. Instead, the former head coach chose the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns as his picks to play for the SEC title. Now, new Alabama coach, Kalen DeBoer, responds to Saban's prediction.

While sitting down for an interview on The Next Round , DeBoer was asked point-blank for his thoughts on Saban predicting a Georgia-Texas SEC Championship game. The Alabama football coach kept his answer humble, as he's done nothing but praise Nick Saban since replacing him as head coach. But Kalen DeBoer ultimately is keeping his team focused on the upcoming season.

"We're just going to focus on what we can control and right now the predictions really don’t matter. It's what happens at the end of the season that really matters."

This isn't Kalen DeBoer's first rodeo. So the fact he's able to shrug off a question like that and just remain focused on the upcoming season is a veteran move. Alabama is likely to be competitive during DeBoer's first season as head coach and the playoffs are a real possibility.

The Crimson Tide may face some bumps and bruises along the way though. Especially early in the season as the team settles into DeBoer's scheme. But Alabama is in a great position to make some noise in the SEC this year.

Alabama starts the season off with some tune-up games against Western Kentucky and South Florida. But the schedule isn't an easy one as they have key matchups against Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, Oklahoma, and Auburn. It'll be interesting to see how the Crimson Tide play up against some of the best teams in the SEC with Kalen DeBoer leading the way.

DeBoer is a seasoned head coach and his experience might be way Alabama was so interested in hiring him. He spent nearly 20 years as an offensive coordinator before taking a head coaching job at Fresno State in 2020. Last season, Kalen DeBoer led the Washington Huskies on a title run but lost to the Michigan Wolverines.

Additionally, DeBoer is a winner. Through nine total seasons as a head coach, Kalen DeBoer holds an impressive 104-12 record. That includes a solid 12-2 record against top-25 teams. He also won three NAIA Championships when he was the head coach of Sioux Falls between 2005 to 2009. Based on those numbers, the Alabama football program should be excited about the future.

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