Revisiting "Is Bama Doomed?" Two Years Post-Nick Saban
From Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast by Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner
May 12, 2026 · 21 min
About this episode
The episode revisits the state of Alabama football two years after Nick Saban's retirement, discussing the impact of Kalen DeBoer's coaching and the program's future.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Subscriber episode: Steven Godfrey joins Alex and Richard to do a two-year checkup on Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. When Nick Saban retired in January 2024, Godfrey thought the Crimson Tide were due for a major reality check, while Alex thought one of Saban’s gifts to Bama was a durable and higher floor. Two seasons into the DeBoer era, Godfrey’s view looks like it’s carrying the day. But does Alabama see it that way, given a new contract extension for DeBoer? In this episode: 0:00: Why Alex and Godfrey disagreed two years ago 5:14: What DeBoer’s extension says about Greg Byrne’s bet and Alabama’s appetite for patience after an uneven first two years. 10:28: Alabama’s roster-building question: Is high school recruiting just going really well, or are they poor, or is it a bit of both? 20:38: Godfrey on the psychology of SEC donors spending money on football players, and why it’s better for Ole Miss than Alabama 52:23: The archival add-on: Alex’s special episode from 2021 on what “gameday home” condo purchases do to SEC towns Producer: Anthony Vito
People in this episode
Hosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson
Guest: Steven Godfrey
Topics covered
- Alabama football
- Nick Saban retirement
- Kalen DeBoer era
- SEC psychology
- recruiting strategies
- coaching contracts
Keywords
- Alabama
- Kalen DeBoer
- Nick Saban
- Steven Godfrey
- SEC
- recruiting
- coaching
- football
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Alabama, SEC, Ole Miss, Greg Byrne
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