Keon Sabb Echoes Kalen DeBoer’s Sentiment that the World has not Seen Alabama’s Best Game Yet

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The conversation around the Mal Moore Athletic Facility is that the world has yet to see Alabama's best performance. Mistakes, poor redzone execution, and late-game gains by opposing teams have skewed the Alabama stats on the season for what has become one of the top four teams in the country.

Get our free mobile app

No. 4 Alabama currently sits at 6-1 on the season, the 22nd consecutive season that Alabama has been bowl eligible. The Crimson Tide is hunting for more than just a Reliaquest Bowl appearance this season, however, with the 6-1 Crimson Tide undefeated in SEC play and eyeing its first appearance in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Every goal for Alabama still sits in front of them, attainable if they can begin to piece together complete performances. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said on Monday that that's the challenge for the Crimson Tide.

"I challenged the guys, and they believe it, that the world has not seen Bama's best yet," DeBoer said on Monday. "That's really what we're striving to do. When you keep it really as simple as possible on that, have great preparation, everyone caring about what we're trying to accomplish, you have that edge. We got to stack another week of work, one day at a time, and be ready to go on Saturday."

Alabama's still striving for that level of perfection, something Nick Saban's Alabama teams chased repeatedly. But Alabama has defeated four ranked opponents, completed two revenge games, and fought through adversity on the road during the latest four-game stretch of the season. If that's not Alabama's best, what is?

"For us, it's just continuing to be better," safety Keon Sabb said on Tuesday. "Just playing a clean game, clean fits for the defense. Offense, guys doing their job. Limited MAs, guy playing with a lot of energy. I think that's what it is."

Alabama has taken steps to improve and clean up its performance on Saturdays. Under Kalen DeBoer, Alabama had never had a game where the Crimson Tide had fewer penalties than its opposition. That changed with Alabama's 24-21 win over the Georgia Bulldogs, where Alabama had four penalties to Georgia's six. Since then, Alabama has had five or fewer penalties in every game, and has had fewer penalties than three of the four opponents it's played most recently. If the Crimson Tide can clean up its late-game defense and redzone execution, it could be scary what Alabama could be as we enter the second half of the season.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.