If it seems like we are spilling a lot of ink covering an opening week season kickoff against a midmajor CUSA squad, that’s because we are.

Obviously, a new era has dawned, and interest is high. There has been a lot to talk about: Our takeways from the game, and deep-diving into what we actually saw on Saturday; the Tide’s perilously thin and inadequate depth at left tackle; a ball-hawking defense that’s greedy for more; an offense that is somehow even more explosive than last season.

And interest is particularly high because of the coaching staff.

It takes a special kind of cat to have the confidence in himself and his system to step into the giant shoes left vacant by the best coach to ever carry a whistle in college football. Like most hyper-competitive endeavors, coaching attracts those with supreme confidence (and for some, even arrogance). The same kind of person who can run a major college football program would be just as comfortable in a courtroom, a surgical center, the Exchange Floor, the C-Suite, or in the cockpit of an F-22.

But that confidence doesn’t always translate to the field.

The Sabans of the world that came to prominence and drew fans 20 years, even 10 years ago, are not with us anymore. That old guard, and much of the old conventional wisdom, is being rapidly retired. In their place, a new vanguard is ascendant. And the cohort of coaches who do have that success to back up confidence with results, are matriculating in. It is a younger stable of coaches who cut their teeth on eclectic offense, swear by analytics, and can navigate this uncomfortable world of pay-for-play and social media — Jedd Fisch, Eric Morris, GJ Kinne, Mike Norvell, Kane Wommack, Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, and, yes, Kalen DeBoer (among many others) — all of these men are in their 30s and 40s and just hitting their prime.

It is a young man’s game, where longevity is precious, and which makes the ones who stick around all the more impressive. So, let’s see what we saw from this new Alabama coaching staff in their debut that makes us believe DeBoer and company are built for the long haul.

Complete Player Buy-In Through Positivity

It would have been the easiest thing in the world for this Alabama staff and these players to avail themselves of a honeymoon period. Tide fans know what a daunting challenge it is to try to follow a legend. Unique among all programs, Alabama fans have had the bittersweet experience of replacing the best coach in college history on two occasions. DeBoer would have been cut some slack. The players would have been excused for some missed assignments.

That’s not what we saw on Saturday, however. After a significant loss of talent on both sides of the ball, and so many new transfers, freshmen, and Portal refugees, Alabama has instead taken what should be a transition period and turned it into a year-long exercise in building fellowship and camaraderie.

It showed on the field, too. Despite half of this roster having never played with one another, the coaching staff got them to buy-in to trusting themselves and the staff; to believe in their own self-improvement with each snap and to adhere to that process.

They were shot out of a cannon, their communication was exemplary, and they just had fun. It’s almost as if not living in fear of mistakes made them less likely to make them.

I am not at all trying to diminish Coach Saban, but he was the first to admit that he became increasingly unable to effectively reach this generation of players. He mellowed somewhat with age, but his was still a terrible wrath, and his type of coaching just did not resonate as effectively as it did even a decade ago.

The new staff, all Millennials and Gen Xers, have taken a more encouraging approach. It’s a more positive style that this generation of players seem to really respond to, while at the same time remaining disciplined and hard-nosed.

That’s a delicate needle to thread, and DeBoer has done it perfectly.

Aggression

With a youth movement on the sidelines, and an offensive-minded staff, comes a new sort of swaggering intensity — this team is aggressive, almost to a fault.

Gone is so much of the zone-blocking scheme we have seen since at least Old Man Pendry’s days and Coach Mac’s offense. In its place, we see hat-on-a-hat, man-blocking. Gone is the hesitation in the running backs. They hit the hole greedily and then get downhill behind an offensive line intent to impose its will. Gone is a defense that was content to let plays come to them. They contest passes, they bat balls at the line of scrimmage, they make breaks on throws even if it will cost them position or downs. Gone are the schemes that have designated deep routes in the playbook — in their stead is a system where almost every pass play has a deep ball attached to it.

Gone also is patronage by seniority. It’s not a secret that Saban valued experience. He would play younger guys — even freshman. And with the Portal he did so more often. But with an aggressive rotation of players and packages, more younger guys and new ones saw snaps in KDB’s first game. It didn’t matter if they were transfers, long-stick lettermen, or 17-year-old early enrollees. The best player for the call will always be on the field. Practice and experience may earn a starting spot on this two-deep, but it won’t guarantee every-down participation.

The younger, gambling staff has keyed a complete rethink in this program. They are out for blood on every play, every possession. Defense got a stop? Not good enough — get a turnover. Defense got a turnover? Not good enough — get a score out of it. A gimme is there? Not good enough — look for a deep read. Leave no points on that field, on any possession, on either side of the ball.

Football has always been a metaphor for war, and this is the Der Schlieffenplan. It will take some hits, sure. There will be three and outs. The defense will give up big plays and points. But you’re not going to find ‘Bama sitting back on their heels. Ever.

Much Improved Positional Play At Key Spots

It was apparent on the field how much better the Tide was being coached in several position groups. Alabama lost one tackle to the NFL and a three-year player at center, and the offensive line improved. It was faster off the ball, it got downhill faster, and it was a lighter and quicker unit while being every bit the road-graders we have become accustomed to seeing. There is emphasis placed on pre-snap communication, and particularly among the offensive linemen, we saw that investment return disciplined dividends.

The offensive line was not the only area of improvement, however. I think we all saw the improvement at the skills positions as well.

Milroe was a more confident player on a per-snap basis than he was last season. He made the right reads, went through his progressions, looked over the entire field, used the entire field, and made smart throws — even to his 3rd and 4th targets. He had clearly been given the green light to run as well, if he saw something in the defense he liked. (We predicted that, actually.)

Milroe didn’t quite have the yips and constant backpeddling we saw under Tommy Rees. Like the offensive line, his communication was much better. Every one was on the same page; he was making the right calls to the skills players; and the line was working with him to get that synchronicity. Does JM4 need to be more decisive? Sure. But considering his QB coaches were Bill O’Brien and Rees, he’s come a long way in just 13 starts. And after Week 1 under this new staff, and a new crew of receivers, you get the feeling he’ll play his way onto a New York stage as a Heisman finalist.

Speaking of those receivers, we have not seen such crisp routes, and guys navigating into space, since the days of the Ryde Outs. Part of that is scheming, to be sure — that’s what the offense is designed to do. But they are blocking better on the edge, getting off of jams, motioning properly, getting separation, and then being fundamentally sound in their technique. Coach Shephard is as-advertised.

It All Came Together.

The end product we saw Saturday night, particularly on offense, was one where all of these concepts were consonant, where all of that coaching paid off in demonstrable ways.

Here is Coach DeBoer breaking it down for us: great communication by the line, by Milroe, and then between the entire offense. Milroe going through his progressions and making the right read. Williams running the right route and watching the ball into his hands. Milroe making the right throw after stepping into the pocket.

The result? 2+4=6

And it is beautiful.