After 13 games we're 9-4. Let's revisit our thoughts and outlook on Coach Kalen DeBoer

[RollTide_HTTR]

Can anyone confirm if DeBoer got rid of most of the analysts' positions that Saban hired? I've read on multiple boards that when he got here he cleaned house with the analyst's positions. If that's true, it may be why the game planning was so hit and miss. Less sets of qualified eyes on the team and things got missed.

I have no idea. That would be a little discouraging if true

 

[SkullDuckery]

Just looking back at the season with some time to reflect I think it was a bumpy road but a success for a guy with a totally new philosophy trying to install his style and system. He was working to just keep a roster intact when he got here and a lot of those guys didn’t matchup with what he needed. Thankful for the guys that did buy in and hopefully that gets us to 10 wins and a brighter future.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

We ended up 9-4 and not doing as good as I thought we would in year one of the CKD era. My expectation for year two is a one-game improvement in the regular season which would put us at 10-2 and probably in the playoffs. I don't think a one-game improvement is too much to ask and, honestly, should be the minimum expectation, IMO.

 

[Cruloc]

We ended up 9-4 and not doing as good as I thought we would in year one of the CKD era. My expectation for year two is a one-game improvement in the regular season which would put us at 10-2 and probably in the playoffs. I don't think a one-game improvement is too much to ask and, honestly, should be the minimum expectation, IMO.

Defense should be solid.

Offense should be more capable.

Right now I'd expect a loss at Georgia....at South Carolina will be iffy.....at Auburn is always iffy.

Gotta win our home games.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Defense should be solid.

Offense should be more capable.

Right now I'd expect a loss at Georgia....at South Carolina will be iffy.....at Auburn is always iffy.

Gotta win our home games.

I don't "expect" three losses in year two considering the defense we have returning. We should have one of the top five defenses in the country, if not better.

 

[Cruloc]

I don't "expect" three losses in year two considering the defense we have returning. We should have one of the top five defenses in the country, if not better.

Don't expect three losses.....expect that loss at Georgia. Those two road games at SC and at Auburn will be tough, but as long as we win our home games and split those two road games at a minimum, we're 10-2.

 

[countrytider]

The inconsistency, paired with the bad losses, lack of adjustments on offense, make me lean toward a grade of “F”.

The big wins, going undefeated at home, count for something, so I’ll go with a “D”’ at best.

 

[Guido]

Insufficient data available to support any conclusion at this time.

 

[teamplayer]

With the schedule we have, it is hard for me to think anything better than 10-2. I think between 8-4 and 10-2 for right now. Honestly, it is difficult for me to get the OU and Michigan games out of my head. We looked absolutely horrible in those games. I hope the staff is now more prepared for what is required in the SEC. This should help them prepare off-season workouts to be ready once the season begins.

 

[countrytider]

Insufficient data available to support any conclusion at this time.

Disagree. The title of the thread is “after 13 games,
we’re 9-4”…..so basically an “up to this point” kind of deal.

There’s plenty to make an assessment on THIS season, and I think that was the OP’s intentions. I think it’s a fair question.

How much data do you need for THIS season?

I don’t think any logical fan is making foregone conclusions about the future. It’s about this season only.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

With the schedule we have, it is hard for me to think anything better than 10-2. I think between 8-4 and 10-2 for right now. Honestly, it is difficult for me to get the OU and Michigan games out of my head. We looked absolutely horrible in those games. I hope the staff is now more prepared for what is required in the SEC. This should help them prepare off-season workouts to be ready once the season begins.

This is what I would love to know. A moment of honesty and have him disclose the things he learned after one season in the SEC. I would be shocked if he would honestly say "It was everything I thought it was going to be". He has to look back and at least to himself say "I underestimated several things about this conference".

 

[BamaMoon]

I don't know what CKD learned, but I think he's too smart and too good of a HC not to have learned some very valuable lessons.

That doesn't mean next season will be incredible, but I do believe it will be improved.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

Strangely, the final record was not surprising to me - I felt the team would go as far as Milroe could take them, and given his up/downs in CNS' last season, I wasn't confident that Milroe would stabilize and improve on the times he was down. Now, losing to Vandy and OU the way they did was surprising, and to a lesser extent, losing to UT.

I think CKD is good enough coach to have learned his lessons, and w/o any connections to the program, the idea that he let the players have their way for a season to see how short they'll come up is a feasible one. But we won't know anything until the next season starts. Regardless of how one feels about CKD and his offensive ideas, he did not have the ideal or partially-ideal QB running the offense. The offense we saw looked pieced-together - some teams couldn't handle that (UGA, LSU), and other teams had no problem with that (Vandy, OU, UT, Michigan) set up. Whoever becomes QB1 better know how to distribute the ball so that the offense looks more normal.

 

[bamaslammer]

I'm not sure how much of the offensive meltdown was just poor coaching vs Milro just crashing and burning as a passer. Everybody knew he was dangerous on the deep ball so they understandably shut that down and he had absolutely nothing else in the tool shed. He got his legs going on a few teams and ran them through but aside from that the passing game was DOA. With ANY starting QB in the last 20 years under center we would have won at least 1 more game and possibly 2.

Which begs the question. Was Ty really behind him or was it just a horrible decision to start the more experienced guy in 2024

 

[BamaMoon]

Strangely, the final record was not surprising to me - I felt the team would go as far as Milroe could take them, and given his up/downs in CNS' last season, I wasn't confident that Milroe would stabilize and improve on the times he was down. Now, losing to Vandy and OU the way they did was surprising, and to a lesser extent, losing to UT.

I think CKD is good enough coach to have learned his lessons, and w/o any connections to the program, the idea that he let the players have their way for a season to see how short they'll come up is a feasible one. But we won't know anything until the next season starts. Regardless of how one feels about CKD and his offensive ideas, he did not have the ideal or partially-ideal QB running the offense. The offense we saw looked pieced-together - some teams couldn't handle that (UGA, LSU), and other teams had no problem with that (Vandy, OU, UT, Michigan) set up. Whoever becomes QB1 better know how to distribute the ball so that the offense looks more normal.

It's all so very true. And it just illustrates CKD's biggest decision next year is getting the QB positon fixed.

And isn't it ironic that two of our biggest and best rivals couldn't slow JM down and then Vandy, OU and UT could?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm not sure how much of the offensive meltdown was just poor coaching vs Milro just crashing and burning as a passer. Everybody knew he was dangerous on the deep ball so they understandably shut that down and he had absolutely nothing else in the tool shed. He got his legs going on a few teams and ran them through but aside from that the passing game was DOA. With ANY starting QB in the last 20 years under center we would have won at least 1 more game and possibly 2.

Which begs the question. Was Ty really behind him or was it just a horrible decision to start the more experienced guy in 2024

With as much trouble as the 2023 staff had piecemilling an offense around Milroe and then another completely different staff having the same problem. I just point to Milroe and his limitations being the lion's share of the issue. You put together the experience of both staffs and you've got HUNDREDS of years of football experience yet both staffs struggled with the same things with Milroe at QB.

 

[BamaMoon]

With as much trouble as the 2023 staff had piecemilling an offense around Milroe and then another completely different staff having the same problem. I just point to Milroe and his limitations being the lion's share of the issue. You put together the experience of both staffs and you've got HUNDREDS of years of football experience yet both staffs struggled with the same things with Milroe at QB.

The common denominator is JM. Both years. Two staffs.

In the words of Clark Griswald, "Where's the Tylenol???"

 

[mlh]

The common denominator is JM. Both years. Two staffs.

In the words of Clark Griswald, "Where's the Tylenol???"

In other words, if we'd played a different QB, we could be sitting on back-to-back NCs.

(Blue font...but just barely)

 

[CaliforniaTide]

It's all so very true. And it just illustrates CKD's biggest decision next year is getting the QB positon fixed.

And isn't it ironic that two of our biggest and best rivals couldn't slow JM down and then Vandy, OU and UT could?

I can't make heads/tails of it. Props to JM and the offensive staff for doing so, even including UGA being able to slow down JM for most of the 2nd half.

As for Vandy, maybe that was more of the defense's fault than the offense. UT - we all seen the cut ups of JM missing wide open WRs. OU - could just be a Venables curse.

 

[CrimsonTitles]

It's all so very true. And it just illustrates CKD's biggest decision next year is getting the QB positon fixed.

And isn't it ironic that two of our biggest and best rivals couldn't slow JM down and then Vandy, OU and UT could?

I'm not sure Vandy really accomplished this. He threw for 310 yards, and if not for his two gifts to Vandy, it would've been one of his best games. I give credit where credit is due, but I'm not sure Vandy's defense deserves the credit for that. His turnovers definitely cost us the game, but that was all self-inflicted. UT and Oklahoma have legit defenses, so that really fits with Milroe's patterns over the last two years. He's an interesting case, because while I don't think he's a good QB, not every team is capable of shutting him down. That's probably part of what makes him so polarizing. If you don't have the personnel, he can make you look silly, but if you do, you can make him look silly.