Greg McElroy: Alabama 'ready built' to win national championship without Nick Saban

When it comes to predicting what teams will look like ahead of the 2024 college football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide represents one of the most challenging to forecast. Faced with a crossroads following the retirement of Nick Saban where the program can wither maintain their success or take a step back following the departure of the greatest college head coach of all time.

A new look SEC and an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff will also make things even more challenging than ever before for Alabama. But former Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy believes that they will still be able to maintain their winning ways. Asked by Get Up host Mike Greenberg if he feels Alabama can win a national title without Saban Thursday morning on ESPN.

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“Yes they can Greeny and while Coach Saban, he’s amazing, and I think he’s the greatest program builder in the history of the sport. But all signs because of the way he’s built this program having pointed to them still being successful with him not on the sideline,” McElroy said.

Alabama’s upcoming season serves as somewhat of a double-edged sword. Where success will be tabbed as Saban building the program up for the torch to be easily passed on and failure serving as a sign that Saban’s elite success is nearly possible to match.

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“I think there’s like this hesitancy to give Alabama credit, like they can’t possibly win without Nick Saban, right?” McElroy asked hypothetically. “There’s no way, because that would be discrediting the good work that Nick Saban did for the last 17 years. But man, they are ready built to succeed under Kalen DeBoer, who’s a phenomenal head coach and the great hire by Greg Byrne.”

DeBoer takes over the Alabama program after leading Washington to a national championship appearance last season in just his second season with the program. A proven winner with an impressive 104–12 record as head coach who now inherits college football’s gold standard program when it comes to winning football games.

A new man in charge in Tuscaloosa makes the Crimson Tide more fascinating to keep an eye on than they have been in quite some time, as DeBoer will look to maintain the program’s success and lead them to a national title in year one with Alabama.