Alabama fans do not know who the real Crimson Tide are after its loss to Vanderbilt.
It saw Alabama handle Georgia in the first quarter and held on for a victory, but it also saw the Tide get dominated by the Commodores last week.
Kalen DeBoer is faced with a serious situation this weekend. He has to prove to Alabama fans and the college football world that the victory over Georgia was not a fluke. DeBoer must show that he is an elite coach in this sport that was worthy of the opportunity to be Nick Saban’s successor.
Right now, several fans and members of national media feel the Bulldogs should have beaten the Tide and DeBoer’s win was a fluke.
Others feel the loss to Vandy may be a snowball effect for Alabama to lose two more games and miss out on the College Football Playoff.
Greg Byrne, Alabama’s director of athletics, believes he made the right hire with DeBoer.
The 49-year-old has to prove the AD accurate in his choice for head coach.
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Alabama executed beautifully in the first quarter against Georgia, attacking the Bulldogs through the air and on the ground.
Nick Sheridan, the Tide’s offensive coordinator, had Kirby Smart confused with his scripted game plan.
Alabama needs to have a dominant scheme against South Carolina, but it also needs to show it can finish games too. DeBoer has yet to show the Tide’s ability to put games away — especially with its running backs. Alabama was able to display its physicality in the Saban era, putting the game on the back of its offensive line and pounding the football. Does DeBoer have that killer instinct?
We will figure out on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Everyone left the Georgia game saying DeBoer was the right hire, but a loss to Vanderbilt has fans thinking differently. He has to get the focus back to Alabama being a College Football Playoff program.
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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.
