Tony's takes: My thoughts on Alabama's wild win over Georgia
The naysayers are running out of negativity. Since taking over Alabama, Kalen DeBoer has been met with a sea of doubt. So far, he has silenced critics at every turn.
DeBoer was expected to take over a depleted Alabama roster following Nick Saban’s retirement in January. Instead, the first-year head coach stopped the bleeding, earning the belief of Jalen Milroe and the rest of the Crimson Tide’s returning stars.
Recruiting was supposed to be an issue. That was until he reclaimed a commitment from five-star receiver Ryan Williams before adding a few key additions in the transfer portal. Along the way, DeBoer has set the Tide up well for the future, puting together the nation’s No. 2 class for next year.
Even after proving himself off the field, DeBoer faced skepticism over how his coaching style would translate to Alabama. Music and ice cream at practice? No sideline tirades? And would that high-flying offense really work against the South’s stifling defenses?
Saturday, DeBoer crossed off a few more concerns, leading No. 4 Alabama to a 41-34 win over No. 2 Georgia in its SEC opener. Passing his biggest test to date required a combination of the coach’s previous achievements since taking over the Crimson Tide. It also provided further proof of he and his team’s staying power among college football’s elite.
In today’s column, we’ll unwind from Saturday’s wild win over Georgia while taking a look at what to expect from DeBoer and Alabama moving forward. Pour yourself a drink, and let’s dive in.
Drink of the week — Serenity Now
The blood pressure inside Bryant-Denny Stadium was rising rapidly late Saturday night. After jumping out to a four-touchdown lead in the second quarter, Alabama saw its blowout collapse into a near catastrophe.
A once-dormant Georgia offense awoke in the second half, as Carson Beck picked apart a tired Tide secondary, before putting the Bulldogs up 34-33 with 2:31 remaining. A silenced home crowd was then quickly whipped back into hysteria, as Milroe and Williams pulled off the play of the season, connecting on a 75-yard touchdown to regain the lead for Alabama 13 seconds later.
The Bryant-Denny faithful had to brave a few more tense moments as Georgia drove down the field in the final minute. However, Tide fans could finally breathe a sigh of relief as Beck’s pass was picked off by freshman Zabien Brown in the end zone to seal the win for Alabama.
Serenity now.
Now that Alabama’s pulse has returned to a resting level, it’s finally safe to sit back and savor the win. This week’s drink of the week is a favorite of mine from our friends at Session Cocktails.
The Serenity Now is a nice mix of sweet and nutty, kind of like last night’s game. Although, unlike the instant classic between the Tide and the Bulldogs, it won’t leave you reaching for your inhaler. Here’s how to stir it up yourself.
Add 2 ounces of 100-proof rye whiskey or bourbon, .75 ounces of lime juice and .75 ounces of spiced pecan syrup into a tin and shake over ice. From there, strain into a coupe glass and top with drops of roasted pecan oil. Take an extra deep breath for good measure and enjoy.
Cheers!
(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)
Hollywood plays hero
In case you missed the 6 million times it’s been mentioned already, Alabama’s star receiver is just 17 years old. Still, no matter how many times we repeat Williams’ age, it doesn’t seem real.
The five-star receiver just doesn’t play like someone who should still be in high school right now. Shoot, after Saturday night’s performance, it’s worth wondering why he should have to waste any more time at the college level. Fortunately for the Tide, it will get to enjoy his NFL talent for the next two and a half years.
Williams said his game-winner against Georgia still feels like a dream. That’s understandable. Watching the freshman outjump Bulldogs defensive back Julian Humphrey before spinning out of a pair of tackles on his way to the end zone didn’t seem like real life to anyone else inside Bryant-Denny Stadium either.
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“It’s like a simulation watching him play,” Alabama tight end CJ Dippre said of Williams following Saturday night's win. “He is great. He can take, if he had problems, he could take my NIL money. I’ll give it to him. He can have all mine.”
There’s no cap on Williams’ value to Alabama. Through four games, the state treasure has delivered a slew of jaw-dropping moments while racking up a team-high 16 receptions for 462 yards and five touchdowns.
At this rate, Williams is on pace to finish the regular season with 1,386 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. That would easily eclipse Alabama’s freshman records set by Calvin Ridley (1,045 receiving yards in 2015) and Amari Cooper (11 receiving touchdowns in 2012).
Forget freshman achievements. By the time Williams leaves Alabama for the NFL following his junior season, he might be the best player in program history.
And he’ll still only be 19 years old.
Milroe let Heisman voters know
Around this time last year, Milroe was watching Alabama from the bench on a dreary day in South Florida. If he keeps playing like this, he’ll find himself in New York in a few months holding up college football’s biggest piece of individual hardware.
Milroe made it look easy at times against one of the nation’s nastiest defenses, piling up 491 yards of toal offense, including a career best 374 through the air. He recorded his fourth straight game with four or more touchdowns against a unit that hadn’t given one up since last year’s SEC Championship loss to Alabama.
And he only looks to be getting better.
Along with delivering his usual deep balls, Milroe showed drastic improvement in his intermediate passing game against Georgia. According to Pro Football Focus, he completed 6 of 9 passes that traveled between 10-19 yards past the line of scrimmage, accounting for 89 yards and a touchdown on such throws.
“You could see him taking that step from Week 2 to Week 3,” DeBoer said. “The offensive line, I think, is doing a good job, for the most part, of really protecting him, and he’s thinking about where he’s gonna go with the ball. It doesn’t mean he’s perfect, but man, he’s a weapon out there.
“He’s doing it both through the air and with his feet. He’s tough to game plan against when you’re on the other side.”
Through four games, Milroe has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 964 yards and 10 touchdowns with an interception while ranking second in the nation with a 204.67 passer rating. He’s also churned out 273 yards and eight more scores with his feet.
Those numbers and Saturday night’s performance likely moved the redshirt junior to the head of the pack among Heisman Trophy contenders. And we already know how hard Milroe is to catch once he builds up a head of steam.
Is DeBoer on his way to becoming college football’s best coach?
True greatness is measured in national championships. So before we get carried away, I realize DeBoer has ways to go before he usurps the throne as the king of college football. But all signs seem to be pointing to that eventuality.
While DeBoer might not be college football’s top coach, he’s undefeated against most of the other candidates in the running for that title.
Oregon’s Dan Lanning — 3-0
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian — 2-0
Georgia’s Kirby Smart — 1-0
DeBoer also won his only meeting against Southern California’s Lincoln Riley. However, that achievement seems to be losing its luster as time passes.
It’s hard to find a better game-planner than DeBoer at the moment. The first-year head coach drew up an offensive masterpiece to start the game Saturday night, allowing his team to score on its first four possessions against a previously impenetrable Smart defense.
There are still plenty of upcoming tests on the horizon. DeBoer will need to keep his team motivated during highly favorable matchups against Vanderbilt and South Carolina over the next two weeks before heading into Knoxville, Tennessee for another top-five class against the Volunteers for the Third Saturday in October. That game will begin a gauntlet stretch that also includes a home game against Missouri and a trip to LSU.
Time will tell if DeBoer can maintain Alabama’s recent momentum and accomplish the sustained success his predecessor achieved over the past 17 seasons. For now, he’s off to a solid start.
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