Power ranking the SEC after week 7: #4 - Alabama
Even with a big win over Georgia under their belts, I’m not sure Alabama fans are loving life right now. It’s becoming increasingly evident week by week that Kalen DeBoer is… not Nick Saban.
Well, no one is Nick Saban, of course. But DeBoer, despite his illustrious record, diverges from the GOAT in one particular way that has been giving Tide fans plenty of heartburn.
Even when he was the head coach at Washington, DeBoer had a penchant for playing down to competition. The moribund Arizona State squad of last year—a team that finished 3-9, by the way—came within one score of defeating UW. Oregon State and Washington State both gave DeBoer’s Huskies a run for their money as well.
It didn’t bite him this week like it did against Vandy, but his Tide team nearly let South Carolina steal one in Tuscaloosa. What kind of conversations would we be having if the Gamecocks had made that kick early in the game?
Alabama can and probably should defeat Tennessee this weekend. But it’s manifestly clear this year that you can’t take any result for granted.