After facing two major losses so far this season against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, the No. 15-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide is ready to roll against No. 21-ranked Missouri. Now, Bama’s former head coach, Nick Saban, has a message for them. Saban, who joined the college GameDay crew this year, stays in the headlines every week. This time he directly called out Kalen DeBoer and the Bama boys for degrading the Crimson Tide legacy!

This time he made waves by expressing his concern over Alabama’s poor performances. What’s the reason? Well, it’s not talent, as the squad is quite talented. Per Saban, “All these things that have been going wrong really are not talent-oriented. They are mental errors of snap count, all these different things. I think the number one thing Alabama has to do is not worry about winning. They have to worry about getting back and playing to a standard. Because I think if they play to a standard with the talent they have, they will be able to come out on top,” Saban said.

Saban, who had been part of the program for years, won six national and nine SEC championships in the 17 seasons he was there. That’s the kind of pressure Alabama goes through every year to maintain the legacy they have. Saban has a direct message for Kalen DeBoer and his boys to focus on winning games and concentrate on one game at a time.

“There’s so much pressure on Alabama to win every game,” Saban said. “Sometimes that affects the players. They get anxious; they are worried about outcomes instead of worrying about what’s in front of them, playing one play at a time.”

Saban raised the outside voices which are haunting Alabama boys and Kalen DeBoer, especially after they failed to maintain an undefeated streak this season. In particular, Kalen DeBoer is receiving so much hate for failing to fit in Saban’s shows and his starting QB, Jalen Milroe, for his low-confidence game. But Nick Saban is suggesting they not focus on these external factors but rather stay focused on how they’re playing.

As per ESPN’s latest reports, Alabama’s chances to make it to the playoffs are thin! Only 45%. However, it is before Alabama’s upcoming game against Missouri, and they say there is a chance for the Crimson Tide to step up by 7% if they take down the Tigers on Saturday and following visits against LSU, Mecer, Oklahoma, and Auburn. Which will be at 52%; however, a loss over Missouri can drop down to it by 9%. apart from that, agreeing with what Saban said, Kirk Herbstreit also shared his views.

Nick Saban and Herbstreit pointed out mistakes in Alabama’s defense

Herbstreit went ahead and said, “To me, Alabama, it’s not about who they’re playing. It’s about what’s been happening and trying to get better—too many penalties, turning the football over, too many mental mistakes on defense,” Herbstreit said. “So they’ve gotta find a way to don’t worry about who you’re playing; just get right. Because [Jalen] Milroe looks like old Milroe. They don’t have an identity right now on offense.” 

Herbstreit highlighted the issues faced by Alabama this season. For example, their quarterback, Jalen Milroe, threw one of the dumbest interceptions of the season in the first half against Tennessee, lobbing the pigskin to a defensive back in the end zone on second-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Although Milroe is a proven quarterback from last season, the 2024 season is not turning out to be as special for him.

Milroe was even criticized for throwing unnecessary passes at freshman Ryan Williams. Not less than 18 times in this game. Besides the quarterback mistakes, Alabama is facing an issue with penalties as well. In their last game, their penalties included two false starts. Although the fans might find their trust again if Alabama wins over Missouri, their defense should also find trust in themselves because their 19th rank in the nation for the season is marked by the worst ranking in over a decade!