The Tides have turned for Alabama. Nick Saban's departure from Tuscaloosa heavily tarnished the program's reputation in the SEC.
Alabama would still be good in 2025 -- even good enough to reach the college football playoff, but it will take a lot more than just that to entrench the program as good as Saban's dynasty.
Until then, the SEC foes do not regard the Tide as highly as they did two years ago, according to an anonymous SEC coach.
"The expectations define this place. I think you'll see a competitive program that could end up in Atlanta and make the playoff, but this is a new era. Bama's not a surefire lock every season," an SEC head coach said per Athlon Sports.
A core ingredient in DeBoer's recipe of success would be whoever he elects from Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell to be his starting QB.
Beyond that, how OC Ryan Grubb builds DeBoer's brand offensively would be a thing to keep an eye on.
"The biggest question will be quarterback, obviously, but they have a really solid offensive line, and the roster doesn't have any obvious holes to fill. They're going to compete for a playoff spot for sure," the SEC coach further remarked, pressing upon the pivotal QB decision.
DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa knowing he'd constantly have to prove himself a worthy successor to Saban, especially whenever Alabama fans' high standards aren't met.
A better and stronger team coming out of this should hardly come as a surprise.