Alabama's Strategy and Mindset for Heading into Week Two

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00:00What is the mindset of Alabama coach entering week number two?

00:04Because they are answering a ton of questions,

00:06the players, and more importantly, Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.

00:11Well, right now, they've got to circle the wagons and close the doors

00:16and don't listen to all the noise because, you know, I live close enough

00:19and I have a lot of family.

00:21I mean, I grew up in Alabama's coaching and spending a lot of time.

00:25It's a very difficult situation because they have just – they don't know what to think.

00:31They don't know what to think.

00:33And defensively, that's not the way they're used to playing.

00:36And offensively, their quarterback was a little too pedestrian.

00:40But, again, they've got – they're not – they're talented enough

00:43that if they can put these things together, you have to say, okay, don't jump ship yet,

00:49especially if you're on the player or you're a coach.

00:52Keep believing in what you do.

00:54The coach has been extremely successful.

00:57I mean, he's got to know the fundamentals of what he needs to do.

01:00I was really disappointed in their ability to prepare for a Gus Malzahn offense.

01:06I mean, he's been doing the same thing for about three decades

01:09and quite often against Alabama from different schools.

01:12They weren't able to adjust and have a good game plan there.

01:16So I think they're still there, but they've dropped down.

01:19I've lost that feeling that they're the same Alabama.

01:22It used to be there was this awesome – this awe, in awe of Alabama.

01:26I don't think there's – people are in awe right now of Alabama,

01:29and they're going to have to come back and do a lot of – first of all,

01:32do a lot of soul-searching, a lot of staying fundamentally, staying positive.

01:36Coaching staff's going to have to do a great job of keeping those kids

01:39believing they're Alabama.

01:41They play Sun Belt opponent, UL Monroe, your former team, this weekend.

01:46They're a significant home favorite.

01:49If Kalen DeBoer, let's say, struggles, and let's say he does go 8-4 or 9-3

01:54and misses out yet again on the college football playoff,

01:58he potentially could be out of a job in 2026.

02:02It's go big or go home, as you know, in Tuscaloosa.

02:05Potentially, could the Tide buy out Kalen DeBoer for that huge number?

02:10And is it potential?

02:11I saw some headlines.

02:13Maybe John Gruden potentially has a name circulating,

02:16waiting in the wings to be back in the SEC.

02:20Yeah, just think twice before you pull a name out of the NFL

02:24without thinking about it and what their intentions are.

02:27Yeah, DeBoer, let me say this.

02:29Between Bear Bryant, who won six national championships

02:32and finished up after the 82 seasons,

02:34they went through seven coaches before they got to Nick Saban.

02:38If you don't win a championship or play for one within a couple of years,

02:42they're looking for somebody else.

02:44You're fighting an uphill battle.

02:46So right now, he's got to get this team back on course.

02:51He's got to get back on course,

02:52so they're going to start looking for somebody else.

02:54And then it becomes very, very difficult to get the team to believe in themselves,

02:58to get recruits that you're trying to convince

03:00they're going to play for a national championship.

03:02You lose that.

03:03It does not take very long.

03:05Just look at Florida State, how quickly that happened.

03:07So it's important that they now pick it up and get it done this year

03:11because in Alabama, they'll go to another coach real quick,

03:15unlike other schools.

03:16I don't think there's another school in America

03:18where you've got the two winningest coaches of all time by a long shot,

03:24and you've got to be one of the others.

03:26You've got to be Bear Bryant or Nick Saban,

03:27or you're not going to make it there very long.

03:30It was their first week one loss dating back to 2001

03:33when they lost to UCLA in Tuscaloosa.

03:37I think if we're looking for a measuring stick from week one to week two,

03:41coach, it's got to be on the defensive side of the ball.

03:43Ty Simpson collided up this weekend against UL Monroe,

03:47but that defense better make a statement against the Warhawks.

03:52Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest with you.

03:53You could not play well, and it would be a disaster.

03:57You can play great and crush or dominate ULM,

04:01and it won't get you off the sly.

04:03You're not going to excite anybody that way.

04:06It's a very tough situation.

04:07You've got to win big just to keep the opposite from happening

04:10because you couldn't.

04:11There's no way you could face it, I don't think,

04:13from a standpoint of your fans and all the things that would happen

04:16if you get into a tight ballgame with ULM.

04:19I know I've been on that other side playing teams like this,

04:22and it's important for Alabama just to play well,

04:25just to get to the next game,

04:26because you're not going to make people happy

04:29no matter how big you win this week.

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