Alabama's Kalen DeBoer May Have Finally Turned the Corner

The Alabama Crimson Tide hammered the Mississippi State Bulldogs by a score of 56-23 on Saturday afternoon in what was their most complete performance of the season, and my goodness, was it a tremendous look for Kalen DeBoer.

DeBoer entered 2026 facing incessant criticism from fans and pundits for constructing teams that were too "soft" and that could not lay the hammer down against stronger opponents. But on Saturday, Alabama broke that mold.

The Crimson Tide dropped 483 yards on Mississippi State while also holding an explosive Bulldogs offense to 302 yards. They also limited Mississippi State to just 18 rushing yards on 30 attempts, good for an average of 0.6 yards per tote.

Kamario Taylor entered the contest looking like a top Heisman Trophy candidate. He ended the game going just 19-for-34 with 258 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Oh, and he finished with minus-26 rushing yards.

This wasn't just a victory; it was a whooping on the road against a good SEC ballclub, and it was easily one of the most impressive wins of DeBoer's Tuscaloosa tenure.

DeBoer had Alabama ready to play. There was absolutely no hesitation from the Crimson Tide against a team that many felt could give them some problems. And while 'Bama's overall talent advantage played a big role in that, so did DeBoer's preparation.

Alabama is now 5-0 on the season, and after a couple of rough first halves against Kentucky and Florida State earlier in the year, the Crimson Tide have suddenly put together consecutive strong, wire-to-wire performances versus SEC squads.

Was South Carolina elite? No, but the way Alabama beat the Gamecocks was, and routing a very dangerous Mississippi State squad in this fashion speaks volumes of the job that DeBoer has done with this group here in 2026.

You could start to see the shift last year, when the Crimson Tide reeled off eight straight wins after their devastating season-opening loss to the Seminoles.

Now, DeBoer is getting even more comfortable, and so is Alabama will him at the helm.

DeBoer has caught plenty of flak for not being Nick Saban, which is unfair. He'll never be Saban. No one will. But he can still come a great coach for the Tide, and while he still has many more steps to go to achieve that, he is making progress.

Alabama will host the Georgia Bulldogs next week in yet another test. If the Crimson Tide win that game, a national championship might really be in their near future.

DeBoer has turned the corner, and that is bad news for the rest of the country.