Many questions from Alabama fans have been directed at the University of Alabama football team for this season.
The most significant concern is a particular weakness that could hinder the Crimson Tide from capturing a College Football Playoff National Championship in Kalen DeBoer’s first year as head coach. Is Alabama the clear cut favorite for a national title as it has been in the past? No, but does the Tide have a glaring weakness to overcome? Alabama has unproven players at different positions, yet it should not be perceived as a weakness. The athletes in those roles have not received a chance — until now — to prove their worth on the team. They are prepared to seize the moment and show how valuable they are on Alabama’s roster.
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If there is a weakness for Alabama to overcome, it would be can it be champions without Nick Saban at the helm?
A lot of people were not Crimson Tide fans until Saban arrived in 2007.
After he won his first BCS National Championship for Alabama in 2009, many jumped on the bandwagon. Young supporters of Tide football do not know the program before Saban, so all they can go off of is Saban equals winning and championships.
These fans will see Alabama football for the first time without Saban, and it will be different for them. DeBoer has developed a winning culture at every school he’s been; however, can he build on Saban’s foundation? This is the biggest concern that many have, especially when the expectation in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) is national championships.
Alabama has not won a national title in three years, and the pressure is on DeBoer to return it to hoisting the CFP National Championship trophy as the No. 1 team.
Saban will provide influence from a different role, but it is not the same as him being the head coach. Media pundits are looking at this season as a major step back for Alabama. Some even see a fall from grace for the Tide without Saban on the headset.
Frank Thomas showed he could win after Wallace Wade’s success at Alabama, capturing national titles in 1934 and 1941.
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Paul W. “Bear” Bryant took the program to another level in the 1960s and 1970s, winning six national titles. Eugene “Gene” Stallings came after Ray Perkins and Bill Curry, propelling the Tide back to national championship greatness in 1992.
Coach DeBoer can get it done as the head man for Alabama, but it is a small concern for some to see if the Crimson Tide can national champions without Saban. The upcoming fall should be very entertaining to say the least.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
