Georgia vs. Alabama: Kalen DeBoer's opportunity to put his stamp on the program

When Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer to succeed Nick Saban, the program found itself a new serial winner.

That’s because DeBoer has won at every level — from leading his alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls, to three NAIA national championships, to taking Fresno State to a bowl game, to, most recently, winning the Pac-12 and going to the national championship game with Washington.

Now, he faces the first true pressure-packed moment of his tenure in Tuscaloosa when No. 4 Alabama opens SEC play against No. 2 Georgia on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET).

In case you haven't heard, it's the first time since 2007 that the Crimson Tide are an underdog at home.

"Welcome to the SEC, right?" DeBoer said this week.

Jokes aside, this game will serve as an early measuring stick for Alabama. What is the state of the program with DeBoer in charge? The Tide enjoyed 17 seasons with Saban at the helm, in which they won nine SEC championships and six national titles. When Saban retired, one of the more astounding stats was the fact that he had 44 first-round NFL Draft picks to just 29 games lost. 

It’s unfortunate that DeBoer’s SEC debut has to come against this particular opponent. Georgia has been the best program in the nation, winning two of the last three national titles. In the past, this showdown always pitted Saban vs. his protégé, Kirby Smart. Two top-tier programs with the most talented recruiting classes and most suffocating defenses comparing themselves to one another. Saban ended his career with a 5-1 record against his former defensive coordinator and won the final matchup in last year’s SEC championship game.

While the pregame storylines aren’t quite as heated, Saturday still marks a massive moment in the DeBoer era. The coach understands that, but doesn’t project stress like his predecessor used to do before these kinds of games.

"This is a new team, this is a new season," DeBoer said. "That’s why I always make sure we’re emphasizing that this is the 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football team. But there’s certainly learning moments that you have when you’ve been through the experiences."

DeBoer said his team will rely heavily on veterans like quarterback Jalen Milroe and defensive back Malachi Moore this week. When Saban retired, those were two players that decided to stay instead of transfer, like many of their former teammates did. They’ve played against Georgia and know what to expect.

"You try to give them a chance to spread what they’ve learned to the rest of the team and understand it’s going to be a four-quarter game," DeBoer said. "Understand that there’s going to be ebbs and flows in the game, that the physicality isn’t just going to be here and there, it’s every single play. So you’ve got to be on your A-game the entire game, start to finish."

DeBoer has talked about embracing the opportunity and carrying on the legacy Saban built. He hears people say that it's not easy to follow a legend, but uses words like "evolve" and "grow" and feels empowered to put his stamp on the program. He understands the magnitude of the game and is aware that former president Donald Trump could be in attendance. It’s why he uprooted his life in the Pacific Northwest to come to Tuscaloosa.

"We came here – all of us different journeys, players, staff – to be a part of something like this," DeBoer said.

Both teams enter the weekend dominant and undefeated. Alabama, led by Milroe, has the nation’s No. 5-ranked scoring offense and is putting up 49 points per game. Georgia has the No. 2-ranked scoring defense and hasn’t allowed a touchdown in three games. Both teams were idle last week and have previously injured players back at full strength just in time for Saturday.

Regardless of the outcome, the Tide and Dawgs could still find their way to the SEC championship and the College Football Playoff. Their respective schedules will look favorable to the selection committee when the time comes. So, while the stakes are high, a loss wouldn’t be catastrophic.

However, getting the program’s first major win since Saban retired, especially against Georgia, would be huge for DeBoer, and everybody knows it.

"We feel like we have a football team that is a top-tier team that every day is going to compete to get better," DeBoer said. "That’s not just this week, that’s not just next week, that’s all season long. We really feel like the sky's the limit."

We’ll find out how true that is on Saturday. 

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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