While other program players have a hard time finding their last-minute motivation, Alabama Crimson Tide knows where to look! It’s their HC Kalen DeBoer who is the walking and talking version of hype-up reserve. Things had been pretty rough for him. Well, he had to fill Nick Saban’s shoes. That’s enough for any person to get the jitters. But not DeBoer.

What the Crimson Tide’s new HC did was to always be his team’s pillar of strength. And when you trust your players, half of the job is already done. Meanwhile, forget players, Georgia Bulldogs HC Kirby Smart will have a tough time trusting himself when it’s Alabama on the other side. 

Kalen DeBoer’s winning formula of trust amidst pressure

All eyes are on September 29. The air in Tuscaloosa only smells of rivalry as the No. 2 Bulldogs are all set to land in Alabama to take on the No.4 Tide. Besides the two teams, it’s going to be two coaches face-off. The veteran HC Kirby Smart vs. the debut coach and GOAT Saban’s successor DeBoer. However, the new Alabama HC ensured to not allow the pressure to reach the players. During his last message before the big day, what DeBoer did instead was to boost the players’ morale. More than the excitement of the match-up, he is more into “celebrating guys” the Tide players. While on the stage he only had his OL Tyler Booker seated next to him, we know DeBoer referred to each and every player. 

And what’s a better way to motivate than to track the growth? The Alabama HC then went on with, “You know where we’re at right now and how we got to this point.” Post Saban’s exit, many players switched wagons but finally, they have recovered. And who deserves the credit? “We are making great progress because of guys like this that believed in this place back in January and February,” claimed DeBoer. Trust from the players is all that matters! While DeBoer sets the bar high, Smart is already in a pool of cold sweat. 

Kalen DeBoer’s open-door policy going to add to Kirby Smart’s Alabama woes

Now the Georgia Bulldogs craze is real! In this season they are moving ahead without any loss and have won three back-to-back games. Well, even then, Smart is not probably getting a good night’s sleep. How could he? When he and the Dawgs are about to face Alabama. Amidst the tense scenario, our favorite analyst, Paul Finebaum, had to drop in with his bitter facts. 

On his podcast, the analyst pointed out how “Kirby Smart does not have losing records against many people, if any, but he does have one against the team he once coached for.” What an irony! Even though he had spent nine seasons under Nick Saban in the Tuscaloosa hood, Smart is yet to crack the secret code to beat the Tide. Forget Finebaum! The numbers don’t lie. Going by the records, Smart has been 1-5 against Alabama when Saban was the HC.

Not just this, Kirby Smart and Co. lost 8 times out of 9 of their face-off against Crimson Tide. In case, you think that now that Saban is gone, luck might be in the Georgia HC’s favor, then you are mistaken. Even though Kalen DeBoer has yet to reach the GOAT’s status, he is the mastermind of strategies. The debut coach has ensured that Saban is only one call away keeping an open door for their all-time favorite coach.