Some wounds don’t heal with time. Sauce Gardner’s Cotton Bowl loss against Alabama in 2022 is one such wound for the QB. Although he bid his goodbye to CFB after that season to embrace the league, he hasn’t recovered from that loss yet. Trying to redefine history, well, at least for himself, Gardner tried his hand out at beating Alabama in the unreleased EA Sports video game.

As soon as Gardner got his hands on the EA Sports CFB 25, he had to play a Cincinnati vs. Alabama, that too, on a Twitch livestream. “Gettin my getback vs. Bama in the Cotton Bowl,” Garder had written on X, issuing a loud and clear message that he was all set to get his revenge. What do you think happened then? Well, history repeated itself. He lost to Alabama once again. Sharing his heartbreaking experience to his fans over X, Gardner wrote, “Nevermind… I lost. again.”

Looking at the flashbacks from 2022, the easy 27-6 pass that Alabama got against them still haunts Sauce Gardner and all the Bearcat fans. Alabama scored a sixth appearance in the college football National Championship and the Bearcats got crushed. However, the fans saw the results coming right after the first half ended. Cincinnati had scored just 72 yards, the lowest ever in CFB playoff game history. Whereas Bama’s Bryce Young was on a rampage that day, breaking program records for both single-season yards passing and passing touchdowns. Cincinnati’s sloppy O-line is credited to be a major reason behind QB Ridder.

Sauce Gardner did not compile any standout stats either. However, Alabama did. It was one of the finest games that Alabama executed under the guidance of Nick Saban. Now that ‘the best head coach in CFB history’ has resigned, it will be now upon the new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer to make history like Saban. Will he be able to do that?

Can Kalen DeBoer make it to the playoffs this year?

 “The potential is there,” proudly said Kalen DeBoer, referring to Alabama’s strength to make it to the playoffs. For this, however, DeBoer had certain terms and conditions that he needed the team to fulfill. They already have the staff for it. Developing chemistry in the team over winter, summer, fall, and over the season. Per DeBoer, if the team makes that chemistry, they do have a shot at reaching the CFB playoffs.

However, the fact that this is Kalen DeBoer’s first season should not be overlooked as well. The new head coach might take some time to form that cohesive bond with his team, like the one that Nick Saban had. Now, add the pressure of competing formidable heavyweights like Texas, USC, and Georgia this season. There is so much at stake for DeBoer. Only time and their performance this season will tell where they will land.