Coming into this season, no other team in college football has the kind of anticipation there was in Alabama. GOAT had left, and we had Kalen DeBoer, a winner by all accounts, but losing Nick Saban is no joke! Of course, the recent victory over Georgia has made people talk about whether Alabama can repeat its success and become the king of college football once again. Following a strong 41-34 victory over the Bulldogs, DeBoer has an opportunity to keep going where one of the legends of the sport – Nick Saban – left. But can he deliver?

In an episode of the Southeastern 16 podcast, Chase Robinson and Chris Lee also had something to say about this. They singled out Alabama bringing it up to the rankings, according to Robinson saying, “That’s what I’m looking for here, and are ranked number one in our power rankings.”

The Tide stands at a 4-0 tally, but their goal is not limited to the playoffs but a national championship. Lee chimed in, “A lot of people questioned, back in January, is Alabama gonna be for real? Nick Saban’s not going to be on the sideline; it’s going to be Kalen DeBoer. Is he proving himself enough to lead this Alabama program?”

So what’s next for Alabama? Eventually, the path looks promising, but it can be quite a challenge. According to Robinson,  “Looking at this would be comforting for Alabama fans seeing that, you know, Tennessee is the only game where you would say it’s going to be a toss-up.” The Tide will play difficult games this week, and the next big game they have will be with Tennessee on 19 October, after Vanderbilt and South Florida.

But it’s not all plain sailing; it just moves from one term to the other.  “I feel like being in Baton Rouge could be tricky. Alabama struggled there at times,”  Lee warned, looking at the match with LSU still to be played. The challenges don’t stop there, as Robinson pointed out that Alabama doesn’t have the easiest schedule: “Georgia behind you, we know Tennessee is going to be tough. Obviously, I think the game at LSU is tricky.”

Georgia’s struggles and the implications

When it comes to offense, the Alabama Crimson Tide have not disappointed this season – they average 42 points per game. The stats tell a story of dominance: “I think looking at the scores in that result column, you have 63, 42, 42, 41… this team can score some points.” Milroe has been on absolute fire, and if he does that for the Crimson Tide, there will be a lot for Bama fans to get excited about.

At the same time, things seemed to be rather more uncertain for Georgia after they the loss to Alabama. The Bulldogs currently sit at 3-1 and will need to get back on the winning track quickly if they want to have any shot at the playoffs. Lee mentioned, “Georgia couldn’t overcome four turnovers on the road.” These things may work themselves out as a team takes more snaps during the season. It’s easier to do it at home than away when a crowd is baying for your blood.

For the Tide, there is a perennial headache. During Nick Saban’s leadership of Alabama, the Tide had its tough moments against Tennessee. The latter was a tough nut to crack, even more so than the Bulldogs. As much as they beat Tennessee in 2023, they lost to them in 2022. This is part of the rivalry that underlines one of the primary aspects of Saban’s experience. There is never a smooth and easy way to climb the ladder and become successful.

Thus, as DeBoer learns the subtleties of governing Alabama, the college football community will pay attention. Can he build his dynasty? So far, so good!