The ‘We Want Bama’ Era Is Over — College Football Is Out For Blood, Kalen DeBoer Better Figure It Out Quick
The college football world is ready to pounce on Alabama
The days of Alabama intimidating opponents when they exit the team bus before a football game were extinguished when Nick Saban decided it was time to walk away from the game and Kalen DeBoer was hired to replace the legend.
As we sit in this new era of college football, the fear factor of having to play the ‘Crimson Tide’ is gone, just as fast as it took the Alabama athletic department to renovate Kalen DeBoer's new office in the facility.
And while football fans across the country are currently dancing on the grave of the perceived demise of Alabama football, there is a massive problem brewing in Tuscaloosa that nobody within the state seems to have the answers for.
For seventeen years under Nick Saban, there was a sense of control, with fans and boosters of the program having this cozy feeling that with the legendary coach in charge, Alabama was going to contend for a national championship on a yearly basis. Obviously, this has been an adjustment that boosters knew they would have to embrace once the former head coach decided it was time to leave his post.
What they did not realize was how bad things would get, in such a short period of time. Everything was set up for Alabama football to carry on the torch, as long as the athletic department found the right guy to take over the program and lead them into a new era that looked nothing like what Nick Saban had installed inside the hallow grounds of the Mal Morre complex on the university's campus.
But, there was also a sense of trepidation. Being that I grew up in the State of Alabama, I understand the absolute chaos that revolves around the football team that carries the conversation inside the local dive bars and hidden restaurants that encapsulate the southern charm of playing football in the south.
Though, given that there are truly only two teams that fans actually care about, with Auburn included, the conversations aren't centered around some NFL team that would play on Sunday. This is it, for an entire calendar year, it's either Alabama or Auburn, and no in-between.
And while the sports talk radio shows have been fielding phone calls, it would make plenty of other shows blush because of the enthusiasm and a little bit of craziness on the side. This is normal for any college town that breathes football.
The problem is, they don't know what the future holds, which is scaring the living hell out of boosters, season ticket holders and fans.
Alabama Lost Its Mojo, Quick. Can They Recapture It?
The six national championship trophies that Alabama won under Nick Saban currently sit inside the athletic facility in Tuscaloosa, which is a nicely added bonus for recruits to see when they visit campus on weekends.
What was once a team that had opposing teams making signs that read ‘We Want Bama’, there are plenty of schools around the country that are looking for blood as the football desperately tries to dump out some of the water that is overtaking the boat.
And, the current situation under Kalen Deboer has led to an eye-opening case of apathy within the fan base as Alabama prepares to play its first home game of the season.
It's already awkward for the coach, who was asked about boosters and his message to fans this week on the SEC Teleconference. Welcome to college football in the South.
Alabama has lots its mojo under Kalen DeBoer, following Nick Saban's retirement, and College Football smells blood. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Not since Nick Saban first took over as head coach have I seen ticket prices for a home-opener fall below $20 on the secondary market. Usually, these types of game, like the one Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe, are an opportunity for families to come to a game for a low price, before SEC play begins.
But, $7 per ticket? That's the astonishing part.
"I just don't feel like making the four-hour drive on Saturday for a game that starts at 6:30 and then driving home after midnight," one high-point season ticket holder told OutKick. "I'm not wasting my money right now, and it's not because I don't love my team. But when you add the fact that we looked so bad last week, and who we're playing, I just don't have the same urge as I had in the past thirty years."
Welcome to the new era of Alabama football. Those national championships might be a fantastic trash-talking point to opposing fans, and nobody is downplaying the impact Alabama had on college football, but there are teams that are currently looking to take out years of frustration on Kalen DeBoer and this current roster.
Given A Chance, Opposing Teams Hope To Embarrass Alabama
On his weekly radio show this week in Tuscaloosa, head coach Kalen Deboer made it a point to say that they are ‘pissed-off’ about the loss to Florida State. What he should've said is how upset he was with the effort of his team, and the coaching staff, for the product that was put on the field last Saturday.
It's not as if Alabama doesn't have the talent, with a roster filled with five-stars that other teams would crawl on glass to obtain.
But, in this current world of NIL, and schools spending millions to put together a roster, Alabama can no longer rely on the ‘Saban Discount’, which also had the bonus of potentially playing in the NFL if you did the right things in Tuscaloosa.
Though it's easier said than done, there are also plenty of teams on Alabama's schedule that are looking to take out years of frustration if given the opportunity, with fans of college football showing zero sympathy for what will happen if this situation continues a downward trajectory.
This is obviously the type of thing that happens when you've run the sport for so many years under a head coach who never took a Saturday for granted.
Under Kalen DeBoer, this has clearly not gone as many expected in Tuscaloosa, and the ongoing battle to stay relevant in the national spotlight will dwindle if they don't turn this thing around quickly.
And if they sustain a few more losses this season, Kalen DeBoer probably won't be the guy that leads Alabama into the future. Boosters are not going to sit around and watch the Tide' fade into oblivion. I don't care how much the monthly payments would be to buyout DeBoer.