For Alabama football fans, all they've known for 17 years was leadership under Nick Saban. But that will be gone in 2024. A new era of Crimson Tide football will be underway as former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer takes the reins.
DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa this upcoming season with just his second head coaching job within a power conference, all within a three-year span. But overall, the 49-year-old boasts an impressive resume with a record of 104-12, with a 2-1 bowl record.
The challenges have only increased for DeBoer, with now his biggest one yet having to take over after a legend at one of the winningest programs in college football over the last 20 years. Though the challenges will be unique and aplenty, once things hit the field, maneuvering through an intense SEC schedule will be at the forefront.
This year's Alabama football team has the sixth-ranked toughest schedule in the country, according to College Football Network. Not exactly the easiest welcoming for DeBoer in his first season. But then again, it's the SEC, where nothing comes easy.
With that said, let's take a look and rank the most difficult parts of the Crimson Tide's schedule in 2024.
At Wisconsin – Sept. 14
What's really interesting about this matchup is that this won't be the first real test for Alabama football in 2024. That could actually be South Florida in Week 2. The Bulls gave Alabama fits last season, and when time expired, the Crimson Tide came away from Raymond James Stadium with only a victory of 17-3. At least this year it's at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
So, if Alabama avoids getting upset by South Florida, the very next week they have to go to Camp Randall to face Wisconsin.
This will be Luke Fickell's second season with the Badgers, leaving many to believe they should be much improved. On the road in Big Ten country will be tough to play in, even for someone like Alabama, who normally faces a gauntlet of tough environments in the SEC.
Georgia at home – Sept. 28
The most single difficult game for Alabama will be Georgia, which is the week immediately after the Wisconsin game. That should definitely test the mettle of this now DeBoer-led team. That's two major opponents back to back in power conference play, with one of those out of conference.
We all know the battles that Georgia and Alabama have had over the years where it was Saban and Kirby Smart duking it out between one another. But most of the time, these two teams were facing each other on neutral ground, either in the SEC Championship Game or the national championship. Only twice have the two played one another during the regular season on one of their respective home fields in their last seven meetings. Georgia lost both.
In fact, Georgia has just one win over Alabama football in their last nine meetings. DeBoer and the team have the luxury of hosting this game to close out the month of September play. The Bulldogs haven't won in Tuscaloosa since 2007.
Last two games of the season against Oklahoma, Auburn
Alabama will have to avoid a two-game skid at the end of the season. With the jam-packed SEC schedule now, there is little breathing room between matchups. However, after facing their toughest stretch of the season (we'll get there), Alabama will get more or less a scrimmage game against Mercer on Nov. 16. But then they'll pick it right back up the following two weeks against newcomer Oklahoma and the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
These two games could have massive implications on what Alabama's postseason looks like, whether they make the College Football Playoff or not. They'll see how the Sooner State does things when they have to face Oklahoma on the road on Nov. 23. But as we all know, the real challenge comes in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. At least this year it's not at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where usually the craziest of plays tend to happen, like last year, when Jalen Milroe threw the game-winning pass with less than a minute in regulation.
Three-game stretch of Tennessee, Missouri, and LSU
Really, when you're discussing Alabama football's schedule this season, you have to lump it into the three games against Tennessee, Missouri, and LSU. This will be a murderer's row that Alabama will have to contend with that will very likely determine where they stand as far as making one of the 12 teams to make the playoff.
For one, this will be three preseason top 25 teams in three straight games, though with at least a bye week in between the Missouri and LSU games. Secondly, two of these games are on the road in some of the most hostile environments in college football: at Neyland Stadium and Tiger Stadium. Playing at both of those places in one season would be tough for anybody, but within three weeks' time is borderline insane. Surviving this stretch with a winning record won't be easy.
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