On Thursday, one of the hosts from "The Next Round" bypassed the easy questions and went right into the tough questions asking new Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer if he anticipated winning a national championship immediately.
DeBoer competed in a national championship game in January, his second season as Washington’s head coach, so the question is not that absurd. Now, he is taking over a program that expects to compete for championships each and every year—a program that saw Nick Saban win six titles over a 17-year stretch.
DeBoer said the reason he came to Alabama was to win the national championship.
"I mean, in all honesty, that's what you come here for, right?" DeBoer said. "You come here, and there's gonna come a point in time where there's a lot of pressure going into a week or going in even into a moment of a game. And, you know, the thing I'm always gonna remind the guys of is, 'This is why you came here.' And that's why I came here, too, you know, is to be a part of that, having those expectations. That's what it's been and that's what it needs to be. You try to do everything you can each and every day to make that happen to live up to that. That's certainly our goal."
Getting into the playoffs will be a lot easier for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide beginning next season as the playoff format increases from four to 12 teams. Combining that with the reputation of not only the Alabama brand, but the clout that the SEC has due to success in the playoffs, he could possibly lose two, maybe even three games and still make the playoffs. This is a much different scenario than last year having to remain undefeated at Washington to make the playoffs.
DeBoer was asked if the increased number of playoff teams changes his mentality or how he views not having to go undefeated.
"I don't think you want to think that way," DeBoer replied. “You've got to keep the pedal down and you've got to make it about getting better every single game and focusing on that moment. And yeah, I get what you’re saying, there is a little bit of that, but if you’re really trying to reach the top, you've got to find the best path to get there.”
DeBoer and Alabama will begin their path to a national championship on August 31 as the Crimson Tide host Western Kentucky.
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