Twice in calendar year 2024, Alabama came up short trying to score in the waning moments of a loss to Michigan. In both cases, missed opportunities leading up to those moments proved to be just as big as the moments themselves.
Following a madcap first quarter in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Alabama should be saluted for making a game of things, considering just how far behind the Crimson Tide could have been had its defense not played one of its most courageous games of the past several years. The fact that Alabama was ever down 16-0 to Michigan, though, points to the problems with this team and its identity.
The identity of the 2024 Crimson Tide would always be tied to the transition away from Nick Saban to whoever took over the reins next. When Alabama elected to hire one of the most functionally opposite head coaches in the country, from the standpoint of offensive philosophy, that transition wasn't going to be made any easier.
With National Signing Day officially in the books – even though December's Early Signing Day has eclipsed NSD as the real signing day of note – Kalen DeBoer and his staff can finally begin the work of actually getting its roster into fighting shape for the upcoming 2024 season.
Alabama's 30-day transfer portal period, which kicked into being following Nick Saban's retirement, will be ending soon, and we do not expect to see any further entries. Alabama was hit hard in the days immediately after Saban's departure, but portal entries quickly dried up over the last two weeks, and Alabama was able to add three former Washington players: QB Austin Mack, WR Germie Bernard and C Parker Brailsford.
Still, because of the significant losses to the post-Saban portal – especially a total of eight solely from the ranks of the defensive backs, including three expected starters and four others that were expected to break camp in the two-deep – TideFans.com is bringing you an updated roster analysis. More importantly, this will be our first attempt to project a depth chart using Kalen DeBoer's preferred offensive (Air Raid) and defensive (4-2-5 Swarm) systems.
As Alabama and Michigan prepare to meet in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla. – a rematch of sorts of last year's College Football Playoff semifinal – the biggest question isn't necessarily which team was better in 2024, but which team is better after approximately 50 players from the two rosters either have left via the transfer portal or have opted out of the bowl game due to injury, concern over draft status or some other reason.
Such is the way of modern college football, which is an unholy mess of confusing deadlines, opt-out windows, transfer regulations and a money-rules-all atmosphere, the fault of which lies at the feet of both NCAA bureaucrats and short-sighted judges who all seem determined to bring death to the concept of amateurism.
The result, for this game, is that Alabama and Michigan will meet, but it won't be the same Alabama and Michigan that existed around the first of December.
In 2024, two Alabama news websites, TiderInsider.com and TideFans.com, are partnering in an effort to “FILL THE BOWL” again at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Kalen DeBoer’s first A-Day game as Alabama’s newest head coach.
Help us do our part by committing to attend the Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football Game on Saturday, April 13, for a 3 p.m. kickoff. Admission is free. Bring the family and friends, fill up the car and help us welcome new head coach Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.
received in his early years at Alabama. Now, Alabama fans have the chance to extend the same level of support to new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
A full Bryant-Denny Stadium at A-Day would again remind the college football world of the commitment of Alabama fans to its coaches, players and program as a whole. Help us once again fill Bryant-Denny Stadium to capacity.
