“Was Kalen DeBoer here?” was something Paul Finebaum had asked on the SEC Network. With all the hype surrounding the 2024 season, looks like the SEC Media Days saw a whole storm of opinions and scrutiny. While Nick Saban was up on the pedestal giving out his thoughts, everyone’s compass started pointing towards the fact that why Kalen DeBoer’s presence felt so less.

“Because up and down the radio row, up and down the television row, the conversation was what we’re doing right here. It was about Nick Saban,” Finebaum had further said. And now, it looks like Mike Griffith is here with his side regarding the entire DeBoer-Saban debate, but this time questioning DeBoer’s plans for the team.

DeBoer will leave?

On July 21st, a clip from SEC Football Podcast was shared on X where can see Mike Griffith talk about DeBoer and his tenure at Alabama. “How long do you think Kalen DeBoer lasts in Alabama?” was the main question that the host had asked. Mike was pretty straightforward with his reply. “Well, that’s a good question. Does he leave on his own? I mean, there’s some speculation that this is a two or three-year job and then he’s off to the NFL,” Mike noted. If we look at it from a different angle, DeBoer is not treating Alabama as “just another job” That man has made major changes to the program ever since he took the helm.

From setting up a better offense for the team, a prime example being Jalen Milroe and his amazing transformation, to changing practice times and ensuring that everything on the campus is more free and open. Even Mike Griffith agreed to this. “You know, he’s doing things different. You see a different Jalen Milroe,” he noted. However, this also brings into question the discipline. Nick Saban was known to have kept everything detail-oriented. Milroe agreed on this when he was asked about both DeBoer and Nick Saban.

Mike went on to explain, “Is that going to work out? Can you maintain that without those guard rails? You know, I don’t want to say discipline because I don’t know that he has any issues with discipline, but it’s just it’s a different.” Even back on July 20th, DeBoer’s experimentations were scrutinized on SportsTalk Mississippi. “It’s big shoes to fill the expectations are ridiculous. I’ve visited Alabama, back in April and obviously, it’s a lot different there, right? Um, Kalen is like, the opposite of Nick,” the hosts on the show had noted. While Mike Griffith has his theories as to why DeBoer might have a premature exit, other major challenges are waiting near the horizon.

A fight on home turf

Bryant-Denny Stadium, the home turf of the Crimson Tide and the arena where Saban holds his 21-win streak record. The grounds will shake again when the Tides go up against the Bulldogs. Now why is this important? Kirby Smart, someone who has learned everything under Nick Saban, led the Bulldogs. Taking directly from Saban’s playbook, the Bulldogs are a tank with tough-to-crack defenses and Heisman contender Carson Beck on the lead. This would be the first time the Tides would face off against the Bulldogs without Saban being there to lead the team.

All the heavy work will now fall on Kalen DeBoer’s shoulder. Will he be able to defeat the student who had once defeated his master back in the 2022 SEC Championship, or will Bryant-Denny see a different victor? While Nike Saban has made it very clear “I picked Georgia” on ESPN when he was asked who would make it to the SEC Championship, he also slid in words of encouragement for Alabama. “I believe in our Alabama team, too. I believe in Jalen Milroe,” he noted. Now, we can only wait and see how everything pans out. Will DeBoer be able to keep his “next Nick Saban” mantle, or will it be lost?