Jam Miller: 'We’re gonna dominate this year and win it all’

Even with Nick Saban out of the building, confidence is sky-high in Tuscaloosa. Kalen DeBoer has brought the same standard inside the program with him from Washington and kept the overall mentality similar. Nothing more than a national championship will be accepted at Alabama.

Running back Jam Miller is just further proof of the mindset in the Crimson Tide locker room. He believes Alabama will “dominate” this season and when the College Football Playoff trophy is being handed over to a head coach in Atlanta, DeBoer will be the one receiving it.

“Last year and this year, we were great overall,” Miller said Wednesday after practice. “We’re gonna dominate this year and win it all.”

Alabama was not too far off from winning the national championship last year but certainly did not dominate along the way.

Multiple close calls nearly derailed the season, mainly Week 3 against USF and the finale against Auburn with the now-famous 4th and 31 play. Wins against Arkansas and Texas A&M were by a combined nine points. Tennessee and Ole Miss held halftime leads before second-half explosions earned victories.

Even so, a win against Georgia in the SEC Championship was enough to push Alabama into the College Football Playoff. While Michigan ultimately advanced and then won the national championship, a snap hitting Jalen Milroe‘s hands on a 4th and Goal in overtime could have changed everything.

Miller expects both the regular season and postseason to go a lot differently in 2024. The term “Joyless Murderball” is a phrase popular among Alabama and its fans, citing the days when Saban-led teams would dominate opponents from the opening kickoff until Rammer Jammer was played as the fourth quarter clock expired.

To reach that level of play, Miller will have to play a big role. He is expected to see a major bump in his number of carries after receiving 41 in 2023, going for 201 yards and just one touchdown. The score did come against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Justice Haynes will be the one sharing touches with Miller, potentially forming one of the SEC’s top one-two punches.

Alabama will begin the season by facing Western Kentucky in Tuscaloosa before traveling to Big Ten country to play Wisconsin. A few tough SEC opponents — such as Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee fall on the schedule as well. Miller is expecting to dominate through it all before winning the national championship.