Alabama is no stranger to postseason play. Hell, they practically wrote the book on it. So when there is a year in which the Crimson Tide doesn't compete for either the SEC championship or national championship, the outside noise becomes much louder than it does anywhere else.
Kalen DeBoer's first season in Tuscaloosa had no shortage of outside noise. Was some of it warranted? Sure, but was some of it completely irrational, given it was his first year of trying to replace the greatest coach the game had ever seen? Absolutely. Needless to say, despite DeBoer's proven ability to win, many fans weren't ready to hop on board until they saw it happen in Crimson. In just his second season, it's happening. On Saturday, Alabama will play for a chance to claim its 31st SEC title, and barring anything unforeseen, will begin preparation to compete for a national title in the College Football Playoff shortly after.
Despite the size of shoes he will always be trying to fill, and the plethora of Alabama fans who will religiously compare him to the Saban benchmark, Kalen DeBoer has not only gotten his team to the postseason but built the culture needed to thrive in it as well. There have been several moments throughout the season in which Alabama could have crumpled up and let the season slip away, but time and time again, this team has stood firm and refused to waver.
Let's start with the team they'll be rematching with on Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs. Following a three-week stretch of public bombardment after the Florida State loss, DeBoer and his team walked right into an environment that was literally impossible to win in, and handed them a loss. That began a four-week stretch of ranked opponents, a period in which almost any other team in the country would have dropped a game, but they didn't. To cap it off, they walked right into Jordan-Hare Stadium, a building solely known for ending the hopes of numerous Crimson Tide teams, and never trailed in the ballgame.
To any Alabama fans with even a sliver of doubt in their head football coach Kalen DeBoer, get rid of it. The man won 120 football games before he lost 20, and he hasn't even done that yet.