One of the biggest games in the 2024 CFB season is going to go down next week. And as the hours slowly slip away, some issues have been raised. Kirby Smart and Kalen DeBoer are currently standing at one of the most complicated points of their careers. Smart, as the HC for the Dawgs, has to withstand the pressure of being the next best coach in line after legend Nick Saban retired. And Kalen DeBoer, HC for Alabama Crimson Tide, is burdened with successfully carrying the legacy Saban has left behind with the Tide.

But there’s one little problem. On the latest episode of UGA Football on Dawg Post on September 23rd, Dawgs insider drops his point regarding the Nick Saban problem that is currently plaguing Alabama football. “I just don’t know if you can have two head coaches. It’s important for Alabama to be coached by Kalen DeBoer right now. Not by Nick Saban,” Dawg Post mentioned in their video. Now, we don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but it is important to understand that Nick Saban is gone. The point that Dawg Post raised is quite important because right now, Tide fans are looking at the team through a different lens.

Yes, comparisons will arise, and it is understandable why. DeBoer is taking over the role of someone who has led the team to a 201–29 record, alongside 9 SEC Championships and 6 National Championships. However, the Saban era is over. The 3 games that Bama has played and won in the 2024 season under the DeBoer-Nick Sheridan pairing have been nothing but amazing. Yes, the SF game indeed gave Bama fans quite the fright, but the team managed to pull through, and that is what’s more important.

Till now, DeBoer has not disappointed, and he is doing a heck of a job of carrying Saban’s mantle. When Bama hits the turf against the Dawgs on September 28th, Saban will be there on the sidelines but as a viewer. We will get to hear what he thinks on ESPN’s Game Day, but for now, what’s important to understand is if DeBoer has what it takes to win another rivalry match against Smart.

Dawg Post raised another fair point. “As bad as Kirby’s record was to Nick Saban…. the majority of those games Georgia was not the favorite,” Dawg Post noted. Smart has always been the underdog whenever his boys went up against what Saban and his roster had. This time, DeBoer is the underdog and Smart is the fan’s favorite. So, will the offensive mastermind manage to pull through and not upset Bama fans, or will Smart manage to fight off his Nick Saban problem and emerge as one of the best coaches in CFB?

What are the odds?

Back on September 18th, Smart had received quite the backlash from fans when he decided to say with confidence that he and the Dawgs ain’t prepping for Bama yet. “We haven’t started on Alabama yet. Were on us right now,” Smart had mentioned. This was a bold move. Now, if this is a lie or not, we don’t know. What we do know is that Smart should be getting his guns ready because DeBoer will not make this easy.

While Smart will have to fight being the center of attraction (a position he got after Saban’s retirement), DeBoer will have to fight to withhold the promise he made to the Tide fans. From what we have seen so far, the Bulldogs still fall behind Bama when it comes down to the offense. The Wildcats game exposed the flaws in Smart’s offensive line, and we saw how close the match got.

On the other hand, another point to keep in mind is the lofty expectations Bulldogs QB Carson Beck is carrying. While still one of the frontrunners for the Heisman, the expectation of him being the best QB can become a burden for him. Whereas QB Jalen Milroe, under DeBoer, has been calm and composed throughout. The entire Milroe + Ryan Williams pairing is one of the biggest threats to Georgia’s offense and defense. However, only time will tell who finally comes out on top.

But, as you guys wait for one of the biggest clashes in CFB, why not tune in for the EssentiallySports Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders?