Defeating DeBoer - What a Saban-less Alabama looks like

Georgia and Alabama get to add another chapter to an intense rivalry this Saturday, and the build-up to the game has been impeccable. The storylines are impossible to miss. The biggest, however, is the absence of a legend on the sidelines opposite Kirby Smart. Of course, Smart coached at Alabama under Nick Saban before becoming the head coach at Georgia. Since then, Smart is 1-5 against the Crimson Tide. On Saturday, however, we get to see what Alabama looks like without Nick Saban for the first time since the two teams met in 2003. Without Saban, what will it look like? 

Nick Saban's defense at Alabama was very similar to what Georgia runs, stemming from the coaching tree. Saban typically utilized three down linemen on the defensive front with a quarters look that mirrored coverage. Saban's defenses relied heavily on zone matches, playing an adapted version of a typical zone, rather than defenders dropping to a spot. 

However, Alabama's new defense under Kalen DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack looks much different. Wommack runs a 4-2-5, putting the Crimson Tide in nickel for a vast majority of the game, utilizing five defensive backs. Rather than quarters coverage, Alabama will have many single-high safety looks,cplaying  a lot of man coverage. Wommack said last week that Alabama had played over 100 snaps in man coverage this season. 

With a new-look Alabama defense, how does this affect Georgia? Wherein do the opportunities lie? For starters, it's hard to tell how good Alabama's corners truly are, despite the boundary corners only allowing two catches for 24 yards in those man coverage snaps. Georgia will present the best quarterback and receiver room that Alabama has seen in 2024.

Matched up against man coverage and single-high safety looks, Carson Beck will be the player to watch. If Georgia's receivers, a talented group, but currently facing depth concerns, can create separation, Beck should be able to find them with available shot plays. I expect offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to be aggressive in this week's game plan, and it could lead to big plays that shift the outcome of the game. Explosive plays could mean everything in a clash of these two programs, and based on what we've seen from Georgia's stout defense, I expect the red and black to have a better probability of creating those explosive plays.

When kickoff arrives, all of the storylines go out the window and it will come down to the players on the field. However, up until then, and maybe even during the game when we get a look at Alabama's sideline, it will feel weird without Saban. 

Georgia currently remains the slight favorite over Alabama, despite the game being in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Photo via UGAA