Things are going to look very different in Tuscaloosa this upcoming season.
For the first time since 2007, legendary head coach Nick Saban will not be at the helm for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
During his 17 seasons at Alabama, Saban went 206-29, winning over 87% of his games. He won six National Championships during that span.
Now, Kalen DeBoer will take over for the Tide.
Coach DeBoer had tremendous success in his two seasons with the Washington Huskies.
He inherited a Washington team that in 2021 finished 4-8. He then led the Huskies to 11-2 and 14–1 records in 2022 and 2023, respectively, including a College Football Playoff win over Texas last season.
Despite DeBoer’s previous success, filling Saban’s shoes figures to be a tall task, and sportsbooks are not as bullish as in years past about the Crimson Tide’s chances of winning a title.
Bama is currently 14-1 to win the Natty, which is its worst preseason National Championship odds since 2008, Saban’s second season (60-1).
Still, while there will be a major change at head coach, Jalen Milroe will return as the starting quarterback for the Tide.
Last season, Milroe took a huge leap forward. The dual-threat QB threw for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had a 172.2 QB rating, a massive jump from his 125.4 rating back in 2022.
Milroe is currently +1400 to win the Heisman, trailing only Carson Beck (+800), Quinn Ewers (+900) and Dillon Gabriel (+1000).
Alabama will have a challenging schedule next season, with road games against Wisconsin, Tennesse, LSU and Oklahoma, and a home contest against Georgia.
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