The Alabama Crimson Tide fell from its peak right when it took a nasty loss against Vanderbilt for the first time in 40 years. It gave Kalen DeBoer the first reality check after taking the chair from Nick Saban. While a loyal fan base still chose to keep believing in the multiple national championship-winning team of the Saban era to forge a comeback, Neyland Stadium brought another misery their way. The 24-17 defeat against the Tennessee Volunteers took the playoff to the bottom line, making it worse for the coach under scrutiny.

Along with the line, fans and veterans alike continue to throw shades at the former Washington mogul for his failed approach. Adding to the blame, Clay Travis, another analyst, raised a red flag to all the Alabama faithful as the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer ain’t panning out well.

Kalen DeBoer continues to be on the hot seat

Kalen DeBoer shoulders a tough job of living up to the unreal standard that Saban set. However, he was handling the pressure quite well with an intriguing ‘let’s see’ smirk whenever he was asked to reflect on the team’s future in the season. But as the time progressed, what we got to see was beyond imagination. When Alabama took a humble pie to the unranked Vanderbilt, it was shocking but not that detrimental for the typical Saban-DeBoer comparison that has been there since the chair exchanges. The argument in Saban’s favor? despite giving the team six national championships at the GOAT Nick Sabam lost to ULM in his first season in Tuscaloosa. But with the second blow on the road against the Volunteers, burnt the bridges, leaving coach DeBoer in real jeopardy. Calling out the current downturn, Clay Travis, on the Next Round Live, said, ”There are a lot of red flags. If you’re a rational Alabama fan, and there are some, I think you have to be very concerned with the drop off you’ve seen from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer.”

However, if we look at the dwindling playoff hope, it still exists with a 12-team format transition, but to hold on to it would just be a fool’s gold. While Nick Saban still chose to believe in Kalen’s approach and hope that things will get better, his ‘Darth Vader’ role for the team is under extinction.

Why did Kirby Smart call Nick Saban Darth Vader? 

No replacement for Nick Saban is a good replacement, a statement continues to prove its essence with time. The legend did everything to take the Bama to the height of success and retain that status throughout his decades of tenure. Saban, as a coach, not only just benefited the team under his charge, rather he was a pure blessing and learning to anyone who gets the chance to have a piece of him. Georgia’s Kirby Smart was one among them, working as a defensive coordinator of Alabama under Saban for a while. He still cherishes what he acquired from the Bonafide coach but also is a fan of Saban’s new media role.

During the season, when the duo met up for a formal discussion before a Georgia game, Smart admitted he freaked out while answering a constant pool of questions of Saban and dubbed it as Darth Vader. Sad that Alabama no longer has the force as energetic, supercurious, and strong as the Star Wars villain represents.

What’s your take on Alabama Crimson Tide and Kalen DeBoer continuing to take the bumps from media scholars? Let us know in the comments.