The Alabama Crimson Tide’s football season ended on a sour note after a loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, marking their first season with fewer than 10 wins since 2007. They finished ranked No. 17 in the final AP Poll, their lowest ranking in over a decade.
On January 10, 2024, Alabama football icon Nick Saban shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement. Just two days later, Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer was tapped as Saban’s replacement. But the numbers from the season showed it didn’t meet the high expectations of the Alabama Standard, leaving fans frustrated and restless throughout the fall.
Still, college football analyst Mark Ingram, a Heisman winner and former Alabama running back, remains optimistic. In an interview at Super Bowl LIX radio row in New Orleans, he reassured fans, saying, “We’re fine. We’ve got the players, everything we need—we just need to make it happen. Let DeBoer work his magic.”
Ingram, who played under Saban from 2008-2010 and contributed to Alabama’s National Championship win, acknowledges that Saban’s first season also fell short of expectations. “It’s hard to be patient, but we had a good first year,” he said, referencing DeBoer’s own track record, including a recent National Championship appearance. “Give him time to establish his system and beliefs among the players. We’re fine.”
Ingram fully embraces the idea that Alabama’s setbacks only fuel the fire. Despite this season’s shortcomings, he pointed out that other programs would celebrate a nine-win season, but for Alabama, it’s considered a failure. “That’s The Standard. 18 National Championships. When your team gets close, let me know,” Ingram remarked. “Roll Tide all day, every day, until I die. We are always the standard, and that’s why they hate us.”
Ingram has full faith in DeBoer to fill Saban’s enormous shoes, but he believes it will take time. The three-time NFL Pro Bowler ended by encouraging fans to revisit the state of Alabama football next year to see the progress under DeBoer’s leadership.
