Kalen DeBoer's explanation for latest bold decision highlights why he was the right successor to Nick Saban

After some troubling hiccups in his first year as the Alabama Crimson Tide's head coach, Kalen DeBoer is now making the right calls and getting the right results. Some heat came his way after an ugly 9-3 season in 2024, and his Week 1 loss to Florida State caused more concern. But a switch has flipped since then, and suddenly, DeBoer looks to be the right guy after replacing Nick Saban.

Alabama eeked out a 27-24 win at Missouri this past week, largely because of a couple of bold decisions by DeBoer. While the Crimson Tide's offense was sharp enough to win and had enough efficiency to sustain drives, it needed a fourth-down conversion to avoid giving the Tigers a shot at stealing a huge road win.

DeBoer set the tone for his tenure with the decision to go for it. With three straight wins against a ranked team and a 14-2 record in ranked matchups, going for broke has paid off.

Kalen DeBoer describes aggressive mindset in fourth-down decision

The Tide went for two fourth downs on Alabama's last touchdown drive that put them up by 10 points. The first was a shocker from the Missouri 38-yard line, as quarterback Ty Simpson found Lotzeir Brooks for a 29-yard connection. This almost brought the house down, as Tigers fans felt their hopes go down the drain.