“They’re slightly overrated.” That’s something Paul Finebaum had mentioned after he saw that Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide was placed on rank 5 in the AP preseason poll. This ain’t even the first time Finebaum has thrown jabs at DeBoer and the Tides. Even back on July 22nd, Finebaum had directly said that Kalen DeBoer is not Nick Saban and everyone on the media is gonna criticize DeBoer if he fails to take Alabama to the playoffs. Here’s the funny thing: Finebaum keeps forgetting that DeBoer got picked as the HC because of one specific reason; “He’s (DeBoer) got a little Tiger Woods in him,” something Joel Klatt had said back in June.

And now on August 19th, on The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt goes into more detail as to why nothing can shake Kalen DeBoer and him grabbing a solid run this year. “They just hired what I would deem as one of the most successful coaches in college football,” Klatt mentioned. If you know about DeBoer, then you should have a fair idea of what he’s capable of. That man has around 100+ games under his belt. He took Sioux Falls to 3 National Championship wins. While he was at the Huskies, they managed to reach the national championship as well. QB Michael Penix Jr. was also a Heisman Runner Up and DeBoer had turned him into an assault machine on the field. “He’s got kind of that Tiger Woods aspect to him,” Klatt mentions. Just like Tiger Woods, DeBoer is extremely technically proficient. That guy has mastered his craft to a point where he manages to win at insanely high levels. In the few months he has been in Alabama, he has already transformed the team’s o-line.

Currently, the Tides arguably have the best offensive lines in the country. While it is true that there are some massive expectations on DeBoer’s shoulder cause after all, he is going to lead a team that Nick Saban had led. However, at the end of the day, we have to remember that DeBoer and Saban are different people. Saban had a different way of handling his team through strict schedules and a full defense-focused mindset. DeBoer, on the other hand, is much more open and follows an offensive-focused plan. But don’t think he hasn’t thought about the team’s defense line. He has got Keon Sabb and Malachi Moore standing on the defense for the team and those 2 are capable enough to handle almost everything. However, the main hero in DeBoer’s story would still be his highly valued QB.

Potential Heisman winner

Emory Hunt from FBallGameplan mentioned, “Jalen Milroe is the best QB Prospect.” And it is true. That kid has shown immense potential. Even while under Nick Saban, Milroe performed like a beast last year. Now with DeBoer grabbing the wheel, we have already seen what kind of weapon he has turned Milroe into. Back during the scrimmage, the kid landed a solid 50-yard touchdown. Not only that but if we talk about his accuracy and presence on the field, everything has seen a sharp increase.

Heck, Paul Finebaum himself mentioned back on ESPN that Jalen Milroe under DeBoer could easily become a Heisman winner and even take Alabama to the playoffs. While Saban made sure that Milroe followed a much more balanced approach to his games, DeBoer came in and flipped the script. He helped Milroe take control of his 2-way capabilities and this saw an increase in the completion rate going from 55% to 70%. All we gotta do now is wait and watch how the Tides drown everything once they are unleashed.