Alabama football is not usually associated with the “underdog” status, as the program has 18 claimed national titles and 46 Bowl wins. However, former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban still liked to find ways to feel like David over Goliath.
Saban clarified controversial comments he made about Alabama not getting picked to play in the SEC Championship, via On3's Charlie Potter.
“Nick Saban says on SportsCenter not picking Alabama to play for an SEC title was ‘counter rat poison,'” Potter tweeted. “‘I never wanted to get picked first. I always wanted to be the underdog. This was counter rat poison. I hope they understand that.'”
Saban was referring to his earlier SEC title predictions, via Potter.
“I really like Texas. I think Georgia has got a really good team,” Saban said Monday. “I believe in our Alabama team, too. I believe in Jalen Milroe. I just think the question marks in the secondary – until those get resolved – it’s hard to, sort of, jump on that bandwagon.”
Crimson Tide offensive lineman Tyler Booker joked about his former coach not picking the squad to win the SEC, which spawned Saban's “counter rat poison” remark.
“He would get mad about me if I felt a way about what he said because he always used to say, ‘Don’t let some guy that lives in their mom’s basement determine how you feel,’” said Booker. “So I’m not gonna let a guy who plays golf all day determine how I feel.”
Saban has a point, as Alabama had 10 players drafted into the NFL this year, including offensive lineman JC Latham, linebacker Dallas Turner, and cornerback Terrion Arnold, who all went in the first round. Fellow defensive backs Kool-Aid McKinstry and Jaylen Key also went pro, which is why the legendary coach had reservations about the school's secondary moving forward.
Who did the Crimson Tide bring in to replace their departing players? Will they be good enough to prove Saban wrong?
Alabama football has something to prove this season
New head coach Kalen DeBoer has big shoes to fill, and luckily for him, his roster won't be short of talent. The Crimson Tide have the second-ranked recruiting and third-ranked transfer classes for 2024, via 247 Sports.
High-school recruit headliners include wide receiver Ryan Williams, cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe, quarterback Julian Sayin, cornerback Zabien Brown, and safety Zavier Mincey, all of whom are five-star talents. The prolific program also has talented defensive back transfers coming in, such as USC's Domani Jackson, Wake Forest's DaShawn Jones, and Charlotte's Kameron Howard.
The question will be, though, is how all these players mesh together under the new coach's vision. DeBoer is hardly a second-rate coach himself, as he's coming off of a National Championship appearance with the Washington Huskies. However, fans expect the world in Tuscaloosa, and the 49-year-old needs to prove that last season wasn't a fluke.
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