The Alabama Crimson Tide is 5-0 for the first time since 2022, and in year three of the Kalen DeBoer era, things are finally starting to come together in the way folks hoped it would when he was hired.

There have been flashes over the first two seasons, but largely speaking, it has been a roller coaster of inconsistency with some head scratching defeats and performances. A 56-23 blowout victory in Starkville this weekend – the largest on the road against an AP ranked team in program history – indicated that things have finally come together for DeBoer’s program.

Keelon Russell – who was the first high profile high school commitment of DeBoer’s tenure – looks like he might already be the best in the country, and he’s doing it with an offense that features a completely rebuilt offensive line, a tight end room who is absolutely nasty, and a running game which has been overhauled.

DeBoer’s vision for this group is being seen, and though it has taken some more time than folks may have hoped, having a team comprised almost entirely of players he and his staff brought in with their own evaluations has clearly changed everything.

For the first time since this new coaching staff has taken over, Alabama is playing to its potential and looks like the old Crimson Tide – bludgeoning quality opponents to death led by a balanced attack on offense with an electric young quarterback and a defense that has been absolutely suffocating at times.

This is a young team that is clearly a year ahead of schedule in terms of a timeline for DeBoer to compete for a national title, but five games in to 2026, it’s starting to feel potentially feasible.

Up next is the most significant test yet as the Georgia Bulldogs arrive to town – also sitting at 5-0 and quietly dominating opponents every week themselves. The Dawgs and Tide may be the two best teams in the SEC and this has the potential to be the game of the year.

With that being said, Alabama has continued its regular season success against Georgia even under DeBoer, and Alabama has to feel good about its chances against Kirby Smart and the Dawgs once again. It could be another classic between two teams who are hungry to keep on proving that the national title runs through the deep south.