Stephen A. Smith has always been critical of Kalen DeBoer. Right from blasting DeBoer for the Vandy loss to outrightly calling Kalen DeBoer “unfit” for the team. The prominent sports host never pulls any punches when the topic is the Bama head coach. Even after Alabama’s turnaround after the FSU loss, Smith wasn’t “sold” on Kalen DeBoer. And guess what? It looks like he still isn’t! At the same time, he thinks one person can take the Tide to ultimate glory.

Smith appeared on ESPN College Football at the ‘Magic City Classic’ with Cam Newton and others and declared Alabama to exceed expectations. “They won on the road in Georgia. They just beat Tennessee. They handled Missouri. And they handled Wisconsin. Obviously, you’re looking at the kind of things that they’re doing… Could they win the national championship? The answer would be yes,” said Stephen A. Smith. However, he didn’t credit Kalen DeBoer at all; instead, he showed some skepticism with the head coach due to the FSU loss.

“I can’t definitively say they’ve proven they’re the best team. But I would tell you they’re right in there in the conversation. I mean, when I think about how they looked against Florida State, obviously that was a bad thing,” he said.  The results, however, speak differently and make a solid case for Kalen DeBoer.

Alabama, after the FSU loss, appeared to be a whole different team. Resolute, wanting to prove and most of all keeping that Bama standard intact. Ty Simpson started to connect those passes effectively, and Geremie Bernard took care of the running game. The defense, too, performed on a wholly different level and defended the 24-point lead at Georgia. So, should Stephen A. Smith finally change his opinion about DeBoer?

It took some time for Bama fans to get over that Week 1 loss, but six back-to-back wins (4 against ranked teams) have meant that the discourse has shifted around the head coach. Even in his press conference, DeBoer looks like a different person altogether. He speaks with the authority his predecessor displayed every time he addressed the media. It also helps when you go to Georgia and Missouri and take care of business. But what will it take, Stephen A., to change his opinion? No one knows. Maybe he can learn a thing or two from Paul Finebaum. Still, he touts Alabama to do the job, courtesy of Ty Simpson.

Stephen A. Smith calls Ty Simpson a Heisman contender and outlines him to be Bama’s X factor

Ty Simpson has been exceptional so far in the season and has accumulated 1,931 passing yards already. That alone is a major feat, but doing that at a 70.2% efficiency speaks to the onus Simpson has taken. So, now, he roams in the pocket carrying that uncanny Bama arrogance. Not just because he deserves it, but also because he is redeeming Kalen DeBoer in the process. Talk about quality? Don’t go beyond his inch-perfect 29-yard fourth-down pass to Lotzeir Brooks against Missouri. That’s why for Stephen A. Smith, the heroics will continue.

“This kid, it’s really about quarterback play. And when you got this kid, Simpson, playing ball the way that he’s playing ball, this is a leading candidate for the Heisman right now. He’s next level. The way that he’s performed. And so when we’re asking ourselves that question as to whether or not, you know, they’re the number one team in the nation, they’ve proven to be, I can’t definitively say no when their quarterback is looking the way he’s looking,” said Stephen A. Smith.

The schedule forward looks utterly favorable for both Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson. Alabama mostly has struggling teams to face in South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn. The only game that can be concerning for Bama would be Oklahoma, since the team is 6-1 this season and has defeated teams like Michigan and Auburn. So, with a 11 or 10-win season, it won’t be far-fetched to expect Bama making the playoffs. As for Ty Simpson’s Heisman, the road to New York might just be sealed in stone!!

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