January 2, 2026 • 18 mins
Ryan Fowler, radio host down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, joins Dick Fain to talk about the Crimson Tide’s embarrassing blowout loss yesterday in the Rose Bowl to Indiana, Kalen DeBoer’s job security as Head Coach, their play-calling, and the state of their program.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This music means one thing and one thing only.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
No, we're not watching Deliverance A ninety three point three KJFN.
We're headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they have had let's
just say, and interesting last twenty four hours since the
drubbing at the hands of Mendoza and the Hoosiers and
our friend, our best friend, maybe our only friend from Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Maybe I know somebody else from Tuscalosa, but I know
Ryan Fowler, Ryan the voice of the Tide. If people
turn to the Tide to listen to Tide Radio, it
is Ryan Fowler and Tuscalusa.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
How are you, man, Well, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Worth a flip, to be honest with you. It's been
a round twenty four hours. Yes, it's been bad. It's
been bad. It's uh yeah, it's not been a good day.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It's not been a good evening.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I mean the sun did come up, but barely here
in Tuscalousa.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, it it is not fun for Tied fans. I
know we've been here for Husky losses and you know,
crushing losses. We had won in the National Championship Game
a couple of years ago. But you know when it
comes to your radio show, I'm sure in one hundred
point nine the game in Tuscaloosa, I mean, my goodness,
it's it's it's like somebody took a bat to a beehive, right,
(01:19):
I mean, your next eight months on your radio show
is gonna be something else, maybe even maybe even more
interesting than had the Tide won a couple more games.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's gonna be a unique offseason because there's gonna be
a lot of discussions with you know, what's next, what's next?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And how do you fix the issues?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
And and there is so many different conversations, you know.
I started writing down my rep sheet this morning at about
eight o'clock and I wrote down a lot of different notes,
and I'm going, all right, you know what changes need
to be made, And I do think that there's.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Some and I think that Caleni, but we's gonna make
some of those.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You're gonna have to upgrade in some of your coaching
staff areas. I think you to make an upgrade of
the offensive line. I think when you look at that
group as a unit, was just you know, not where
it needed to be. I mean, they got whipped in
the line of scrimmage all season. It would just last
not against Indiana, it was it was pretty much the
(02:15):
entire season.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
You look at, you know, running the football.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I know you guys know a lot about that, and
I'm sure there was probably some frustration that's probably echoed
by Seattle fans last year of running the football with
Ryn Grubb.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
There's some of that. It's gonna be a long offseason.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I mean it's two hundred and forty five six days
away from the next game. It'll be a long off season.
You can remember, we don't have anything to distract us.
So it's not like you got Mariners baseball. You got
Seahawks that are doing great. By the way, I'm pulling
for you guys. Somehow you guys have turned me into
a Seattle Seahawks fan.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's crazy. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
So I'm I'm pulling for you guys because I'm an
old Cowboys guy. So I'm maybe y'all can beat that
team that's up on the Northeast a little bit. I
do you guys to pound them a little bit. So,
but it's gonna be a long off season. It's gonna
be a rough one. It's gonna be a rough one.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And you just wrapped up your show for the first
day after that game. What was the general emotion was
it anger? Was it fire him now? Or was it Hey,
you know he's gonna be our guy. We can turn
this around. Like, what was the general feeling from your
listenership today.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, only the ignorant fans are talking about firing Calin
of Bor, the ones that don't know a football from
a soccer ball. Okay, the ones who understand it, understand
that he stepped in, and I gotta give Softy this credit. Okay,
he stepped in the hardest job in the history of
(03:49):
college football. And I add to that, I think it's
the hardest job in the history of sports because you've
got to understand he's not only replacing the greatest of
all time, he's.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Doing it during an era that where college football is chaotic. Right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Nick Saban retired because he couldn't do it to the
level that he was expected to do it, right. I mean,
he he hung up the headsets because he couldn't maintain
the standard. So Nick Saban quit when things got rough.
I mean, and I know this will probably make it
back Tuscaloos and the fans of hamm review for this,
(04:27):
but it did. I mean Nick Saban quit when time's
got rough, and Kaylini Bleer raised his hand and said,
I'll follow the greatest of all time. The fans who
understand that appreciate what he's been able to do. He
did something in year number two that we didn't do
in year number one college football playoffs, going on the road,
(04:48):
getting that road you know, loss out of his system
right because Alabama was not a good road team this
year away from Bryant. Did he stadium may beat everybody.
I mean, they took care of business on the road.
It was the the you know, the Oklahoma loss and
home stings. The SEC title game in a neutral field,
(05:09):
its stings. The Florida State non conference is one of
the road losses. And you thought early on, but the
way that he navigated that, I think there is an appreciation,
but I think there's also an understanding that there's still
some work to do. And the barometer was Indiana and
you realize that there's a gap between where Alabama is
(05:30):
now and where they want to be. So you've got
a lot of fans that are asking, you know, for
him to make some coaching changes. They know they're going
to upgrade in personnel, but not really the reasonable fans.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know, you got the.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Walmart jersey crowd, Yes, they are, well you know what I'm.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Talking about, the fake jerseys. Yeah, okay, okay, okay, sorry,
I got to know.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I hear you here, We've got Walmarts here.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I got to right, Let's just talk about the coaching
then yesterday. How much of it was coaching? How much
of it was a massive talent gap? Or was there
a massive talent gap? I don't think Alabama's five touchdowns
worse than Indiana talent wise. I mean I didn't think
going into the game Alabama really was inferior to Indiana
(06:21):
talent wise. Maybe I was wrong, But how much was
coaching in your mind? And how much was the Jimmies
and Joe's Oh, I think.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
The talent Alabama's got a lot of talent. But I
look back at a call and you guys know, kaylin
Bor probably better than a lot of us in Tusca Lussa.
He's a very aggressive guy with his with his decisions.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
You're going down fourth down, yep, on the thirty yard line.
I know exactly where you're going.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah, And if I remember correctly. Did he do that
against Washington State?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And yes, he ran and around to Roma Duneesa and
it actually worked and they ended up winning the game.
But I you know, Softie and I right, and I'm
gonna let you finish with Soathie and I have battled
over Ryan Grubb and his play calm for a couple
of years. I thought he was horrible when he was
with the Hawks. I appreciate the success of the U
doub offense under him, but I had issues with him
(07:12):
because I thought he was reckless in his decisions to
go for it on fourth down and he went full
Grub again on that play. But my question to you is,
do you believe it's Grub telling Kaylan, hey, we gotta
go for it. I got to play, we gotta go
for it. Or do you think it's Kaylan on the
headset saying we're going for this. Give me a play
call Ryan, Well, I think.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
It's the Boar talked about it.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
He called a time out to even give himself more
time to think about it, and still decided. And I
think what he was trying to do is Alabama was
not playing with any confidence at this point. Indiana was
playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. I mean, the
swagger was there, the energy, the vib was there for Indiana.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
It was not for Alabama.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
And I think what the boor was trying to do
is breathe confidence in this team to get their little
mojo back, and it didn't work. You know, it was
you know, another six inches and we could sit here
and be talking about, my god, the guy's brilliant.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
I mean, did you see that?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
And then what happened was Indiana took advantage of that,
and then here goes the fumble with a quarterback run
for Tys Simpson, the play that ends up putting him
in an injury where he said that he fractured a
rip that the X rays revealed. So it looks back
at those little moments right there, you know, the second quarter.
(08:33):
I know they scored early in the second quarter, but
seventeen points. It was the part that I didn't see
a fight in Alabama and an all season, this team
had grinded and it was almost like they were out
of gas. And you know, you got to credit Indiana.
I think Indiana's probably gonna go on and win a
national title. In an Alabama perspective, that might soften the
(08:56):
blow two weeks from now. But it's it's pretty painful
in Tuscabloosa. But not a lot of people are giving
up on Caleb Boor because there was two powerful coaches
excuse me, oh vacancies that fought over trying to get
him right, Penn stated Michigan, and they were doing everything
that they possibly could. And I think that creates some
(09:17):
appreciation for caleible or understanding to stick it out. And
I think this fan base, the majority of them understand
that they're frustrated. As you know, the word fanatic, it
comes into play.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I always thought it was an odd fit for Kaylen
to Boor to go to Alabama. I thought the much
more natural fit would have been to go to Michigan. Uh,
and that was coming from Washington. He decided, though, to
go to Alabama. How do you think that all played
out with Michigan? I mean, how hard do you think
they came after him? And why do you think if
they If you do, in fact think that they put
(09:51):
put a piece of paper in.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Front of him, said sign this. Why did you think
he said no?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
No? And I don't think it ever got to him right.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
If there's one thing we know about Caitlin Bor, He's
not gonna lie to you.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
He's going to be a guy that's going to be
upfront with you.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I don't think they ever got to him, and I
don't think Penn State, you know, source have told me
that he didn't have an interest there, even though they
had an interest in him and they wanted to come
after him and a strong I don't think that would
ever got to his desk or his agent's desk or whatever.
But I think the Michigan there was some There was
some anks here in Tuscaloosa. I mean it was a
(10:29):
rough five or six days, you know, you know, because
they were going to make an offer that was just unbelievable.
So I do think that there was at least some
conversations with his agent in Michigan making sure that it
could have been just Michigan gauging interest. Now, Jimmy Sexton
plays everybody, right, I mean, this is who Jimmy Sexton is.
(10:52):
You know, he could get a dollar out of a
homeless guy on the street, right, I mean, I mean
he could go and squeeze and get that dollar, give
me that last dollar. That's who Jimmy Sexon is. So
I'm sure that was some of those moves. But it
was also I wonder where if there is an extension,
because there was some discussion about that. And see, you
(11:15):
also have to wonder how the Indiana loss plays into that,
because if you're Greg Burn, can you come out from
a PR standpoint and give the Born extension? Maybe you
come out and put money in the NIL collective, or
you know, hey, we're more committed to this type of
resources or whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
But I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
If you're Greg Byrn, can you add those two years
right now? Not from a PR standpoint, I don't know
if you can. But they had to have some type
of verbal agreement for them to move beyond the Michigan
talk because it went quiet in a hurry here in
Tusclus and it was heavy. It's all the fan base
wanted to talk about. All the fan base wanted to
(11:56):
talk about, what do you go to Michigan?
Speaker 4 (11:58):
What do you go to Michigan?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
So if it hadn't been for that, that probably less
than the blow of the Indiana game.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, and you've and Ryan Follers joining us from the
game in TUSCALOOSAD, You've had the opportunity to talk to
him many times. Softie and I have had the opportunity
to talk to him many times, and I think, you know,
we're a little we've got a different because we've had
a we've had personal, you know, intricate times with Kaylen
de Bor many many times. We've got a different vibe
(12:26):
than you know, the typical Husky fan that had never
met him before, and just you know, screw you.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
You went to Malabama, you left us. I get that.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I totally get why Husky fans are reveling in Kaylen
de Bor's failure this year. I don't revel in it,
but and I do look at him, and I there's
almost kind of a part of me that feels a
little bit sorry for him because he Ryan.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
He looks old, you know how, Like you.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
See like a nephew or a niece you haven't seen
in a year or two and they come over to
your house for dinner and you're like, oh my gosh,
you look so much older.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Ryan.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
He looks five to ten ten years older than the
day he left Washington.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
How hard has this been on him?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Because it just looks like this whole thing's taking a
toll on him.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Well, let me say this, he's lost a lot of
weight from that, and I think that probably is maybe
the change is just losing weight.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
And I'm sure probably he's missed a few meals, right,
I mean, because this job.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I can't explain this job it really, I mean to
put it in your audience perspective.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Okay, this is about twenty fifth year of radio in
Tuscos this year.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
No, actually last year it was twenty five, so it'll
be year number twenty six. I started in two thousand
and it's all we talk about. I do four hours
of Alabama football, five days a week. I talked nothing
about anything else. If I mentioned the NBA or the NFL,
my audience would flip over my toyota.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
It just it would. I mean, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Okay, there's a different demand down here. There's a different
understanding that your microscope. But I remember one of the
first conversations that I had with Caitlin of HR in February.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Of except the job. I was telling him. He was like,
tell me what you do.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And I told him and He's like, wow, that is
as crazy, Like what do you talk about.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
So there's a different microscope that you're under.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I mean, you know, fans are driving by the football
building at nine o'clock at night going is he still there?
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Is he still working? I mean, I mean that's the topic.
I mean, you just.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Don't understand the scrutiny. And I'm listen it not to
coach Nick Saban. You got to remember back in twenty twelve,
twenty thirteen, you know, Miss Terry in Texas and that
fort there that was there from you know, talking about
the fan base didn't really appreciate them winning the three
(14:52):
national titles. And you know, because the twenty thirteen went
the other way and they lost on that kicked six
play to offer, and there was an appreciation, like the
fans don't really appreciate the winning. They do appreciate it,
but it's all they have to do. There is no
other distraction. And that's what's different about this job. And
(15:14):
I'm sure that comes to a different level of pressure.
But also understand that Calen de Board this year coached
his absolutely butt off to put this team in a
position to go win a playoff game, to make the playoffs.
This is not one of the most talented in Alabama teams,
even though you compared the talent to Indiana. The talent
(15:37):
here is not what a lot of people think it is.
There was a dip in talent that lasts three to
four years in coach Saban's tenure, and Caylen to Board
would never admit this, but I bet you he walked
in thinking this big talent, pull over here, and when
(15:58):
he gets here, he win. Where's the offensive lineman? Where
are these guys? Because those monsters that you think about
Alabama football, they were not here.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, because he was coming from the best offensive line
in football in Washington, the Joe morri winning offensive line,
and he goes to Alabama, he doesn't have the same guys.
He brought one or two of them with them. He
brought broils for with them. I mean, look look at
Josh Quavis. He didn't do anything for you guys. Look
at what he's here. I mean, he was a safety
outlet for this team.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
And I don't know whether this team would be without
a Parker Brells or a Josh Quavis or a Germ.
I mean, I just don't know where this team would be.
So if you, if you're a sensible fan, you look
at the young players that have made an impact. Those
are Kaelin of Boor's recruits.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Those are his guys.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Very few of these guys are Sabans, guys that were
left over that are making the impact. I'm not here
to crack on Nick Saban. I'm just trying to give
you some transparency to understand what he walked into. He
walked into a very difficult challenge if the cover would
have been completely stocked, but it wasn't. He walked into
a situation that Saban was having trouble hiring assistant coaches.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Here.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
He couldn't recruit assistant coaches. I mean, I mean he
was recruiting guys that were two steps away from the
nursing home. And I don't mean that sarcastically. And you
got to remember Kevin Steele retired before he did, and
that was his defensive coordinator. I watched him at the
Rolls ball against Michigan. He barely couldn't get across the field.
I thought I was gonna have to go help a
(17:35):
defensive coordinator get across the field, Like I mean, I'm
watching him and I'm going what I mean, This is
the coach Saban that was the last two or three years.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
And most fans will never admit.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
That because they don't understand the running backs that Alabama
had to deal with this year. The running backs were
those were saving guys. They were saving guys. Now, you
could also rebuttal and say you got the portal, go
plan it up, go pleaned it up.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Well, you gotta have a you gotta have a ton
of money right now.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
And I think Alabama was lacking in that transfer portal
in Aisle Fun last year. I think that's now has
been cleaned up. And I think that Michigan job that
may have been what helped kind of understand you gotta
spend money in college football.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
This is UDUB fans right there too.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
If you want to be competitive, that's right. You gotta
find a way to spend money in the portal. If not,
you're not gonna be competitive. You got to buy your way.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
To the top.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Ryan, we really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
No, it's been a long day, a tough day for
you guys down there in Tuscaloosa. But thanks for shedding
light on the whole situation with us back here in Seattle.
Because as long as Kaitlyn de Bor is the coach
in Alabama, there's gonna be a lot of people interested
in Alabama football up here in Seattle, so we really
appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Roll Todd.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Sounds good. That's uh.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's our friend Ryan Fowler from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We'll come
back a little fun with audio before we chat with
Big al Kiniski on ninety three point three KJFM.
This music means one thing and one thing only.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
No, we're not watching Deliverance A ninety three point three KJFN.
We're headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they have had let's
just say, and interesting last twenty four hours since the
drubbing at the hands of Mendoza and the Hoosiers and
our friend, our best friend, maybe our only friend from Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Maybe I know somebody else from Tuscalosa, but I know
Ryan Fowler, Ryan the voice of the Tide. If people
turn to the Tide to listen to Tide Radio, it
is Ryan Fowler and Tuscalusa.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
How are you, man, Well, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Worth a flip, to be honest with you. It's been
a round twenty four hours. Yes, it's been bad. It's
been bad. It's uh yeah, it's not been a good day.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It's not been a good evening.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I mean the sun did come up, but barely here
in Tuscalousa.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, it it is not fun for Tied fans. I
know we've been here for Husky losses and you know,
crushing losses. We had won in the National Championship Game
a couple of years ago. But you know when it
comes to your radio show, I'm sure in one hundred
point nine the game in Tuscaloosa, I mean, my goodness,
it's it's it's like somebody took a bat to a beehive, right,
(01:19):
I mean, your next eight months on your radio show
is gonna be something else, maybe even maybe even more
interesting than had the Tide won a couple more games.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's gonna be a unique offseason because there's gonna be
a lot of discussions with you know, what's next, what's next?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And how do you fix the issues?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
And and there is so many different conversations, you know.
I started writing down my rep sheet this morning at about
eight o'clock and I wrote down a lot of different notes,
and I'm going, all right, you know what changes need
to be made, And I do think that there's.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Some and I think that Caleni, but we's gonna make
some of those.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You're gonna have to upgrade in some of your coaching
staff areas. I think you to make an upgrade of
the offensive line. I think when you look at that
group as a unit, was just you know, not where
it needed to be. I mean, they got whipped in
the line of scrimmage all season. It would just last
not against Indiana, it was it was pretty much the
(02:15):
entire season.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
You look at, you know, running the football.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I know you guys know a lot about that, and
I'm sure there was probably some frustration that's probably echoed
by Seattle fans last year of running the football with
Ryn Grubb.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
There's some of that. It's gonna be a long offseason.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I mean it's two hundred and forty five six days
away from the next game. It'll be a long off season.
You can remember, we don't have anything to distract us.
So it's not like you got Mariners baseball. You got
Seahawks that are doing great. By the way, I'm pulling
for you guys. Somehow you guys have turned me into
a Seattle Seahawks fan.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's crazy. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
So I'm I'm pulling for you guys because I'm an
old Cowboys guy. So I'm maybe y'all can beat that
team that's up on the Northeast a little bit. I
do you guys to pound them a little bit. So,
but it's gonna be a long off season. It's gonna
be a rough one. It's gonna be a rough one.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And you just wrapped up your show for the first
day after that game. What was the general emotion was
it anger? Was it fire him now? Or was it Hey,
you know he's gonna be our guy. We can turn
this around. Like, what was the general feeling from your
listenership today.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, only the ignorant fans are talking about firing Calin
of Bor, the ones that don't know a football from
a soccer ball. Okay, the ones who understand it, understand
that he stepped in, and I gotta give Softy this credit. Okay,
he stepped in the hardest job in the history of
(03:49):
college football. And I add to that, I think it's
the hardest job in the history of sports because you've
got to understand he's not only replacing the greatest of
all time, he's.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Doing it during an era that where college football is chaotic. Right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Nick Saban retired because he couldn't do it to the
level that he was expected to do it, right. I mean,
he he hung up the headsets because he couldn't maintain
the standard. So Nick Saban quit when things got rough.
I mean, and I know this will probably make it
back Tuscaloos and the fans of hamm review for this,
(04:27):
but it did. I mean Nick Saban quit when time's
got rough, and Kaylini Bleer raised his hand and said,
I'll follow the greatest of all time. The fans who
understand that appreciate what he's been able to do. He
did something in year number two that we didn't do
in year number one college football playoffs, going on the road,
(04:48):
getting that road you know, loss out of his system
right because Alabama was not a good road team this
year away from Bryant. Did he stadium may beat everybody.
I mean, they took care of business on the road.
It was the the you know, the Oklahoma loss and
home stings. The SEC title game in a neutral field,
(05:09):
its stings. The Florida State non conference is one of
the road losses. And you thought early on, but the
way that he navigated that, I think there is an appreciation,
but I think there's also an understanding that there's still
some work to do. And the barometer was Indiana and
you realize that there's a gap between where Alabama is
(05:30):
now and where they want to be. So you've got
a lot of fans that are asking, you know, for
him to make some coaching changes. They know they're going
to upgrade in personnel, but not really the reasonable fans.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know, you got the.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Walmart jersey crowd, Yes, they are, well you know what I'm.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Talking about, the fake jerseys. Yeah, okay, okay, okay, sorry,
I got to know.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I hear you here, We've got Walmarts here.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I got to right, Let's just talk about the coaching
then yesterday. How much of it was coaching? How much
of it was a massive talent gap? Or was there
a massive talent gap? I don't think Alabama's five touchdowns
worse than Indiana talent wise. I mean I didn't think
going into the game Alabama really was inferior to Indiana
(06:21):
talent wise. Maybe I was wrong, But how much was
coaching in your mind? And how much was the Jimmies
and Joe's Oh, I think.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
The talent Alabama's got a lot of talent. But I
look back at a call and you guys know, kaylin
Bor probably better than a lot of us in Tusca Lussa.
He's a very aggressive guy with his with his decisions.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
You're going down fourth down, yep, on the thirty yard line.
I know exactly where you're going.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah, And if I remember correctly. Did he do that
against Washington State?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And yes, he ran and around to Roma Duneesa and
it actually worked and they ended up winning the game.
But I you know, Softie and I right, and I'm
gonna let you finish with Soathie and I have battled
over Ryan Grubb and his play calm for a couple
of years. I thought he was horrible when he was
with the Hawks. I appreciate the success of the U
doub offense under him, but I had issues with him
(07:12):
because I thought he was reckless in his decisions to
go for it on fourth down and he went full
Grub again on that play. But my question to you is,
do you believe it's Grub telling Kaylan, hey, we gotta
go for it. I got to play, we gotta go
for it. Or do you think it's Kaylan on the
headset saying we're going for this. Give me a play
call Ryan, Well, I think.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
It's the Boar talked about it.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
He called a time out to even give himself more
time to think about it, and still decided. And I
think what he was trying to do is Alabama was
not playing with any confidence at this point. Indiana was
playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. I mean, the
swagger was there, the energy, the vib was there for Indiana.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
It was not for Alabama.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
And I think what the boor was trying to do
is breathe confidence in this team to get their little
mojo back, and it didn't work. You know, it was
you know, another six inches and we could sit here
and be talking about, my god, the guy's brilliant.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
I mean, did you see that?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
And then what happened was Indiana took advantage of that,
and then here goes the fumble with a quarterback run
for Tys Simpson, the play that ends up putting him
in an injury where he said that he fractured a
rip that the X rays revealed. So it looks back
at those little moments right there, you know, the second quarter.
(08:33):
I know they scored early in the second quarter, but
seventeen points. It was the part that I didn't see
a fight in Alabama and an all season, this team
had grinded and it was almost like they were out
of gas. And you know, you got to credit Indiana.
I think Indiana's probably gonna go on and win a
national title. In an Alabama perspective, that might soften the
(08:56):
blow two weeks from now. But it's it's pretty painful
in Tuscabloosa. But not a lot of people are giving
up on Caleb Boor because there was two powerful coaches
excuse me, oh vacancies that fought over trying to get
him right, Penn stated Michigan, and they were doing everything
that they possibly could. And I think that creates some
(09:17):
appreciation for caleible or understanding to stick it out. And
I think this fan base, the majority of them understand
that they're frustrated. As you know, the word fanatic, it
comes into play.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I always thought it was an odd fit for Kaylen
to Boor to go to Alabama. I thought the much
more natural fit would have been to go to Michigan. Uh,
and that was coming from Washington. He decided, though, to
go to Alabama. How do you think that all played
out with Michigan? I mean, how hard do you think
they came after him? And why do you think if
they If you do, in fact think that they put
(09:51):
put a piece of paper in.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Front of him, said sign this. Why did you think
he said no?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
No? And I don't think it ever got to him right.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
If there's one thing we know about Caitlin Bor, He's
not gonna lie to you.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
He's going to be a guy that's going to be
upfront with you.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I don't think they ever got to him, and I
don't think Penn State, you know, source have told me
that he didn't have an interest there, even though they
had an interest in him and they wanted to come
after him and a strong I don't think that would
ever got to his desk or his agent's desk or whatever.
But I think the Michigan there was some There was
some anks here in Tuscaloosa. I mean it was a
(10:29):
rough five or six days, you know, you know, because
they were going to make an offer that was just unbelievable.
So I do think that there was at least some
conversations with his agent in Michigan making sure that it
could have been just Michigan gauging interest. Now, Jimmy Sexton
plays everybody, right, I mean, this is who Jimmy Sexton is.
(10:52):
You know, he could get a dollar out of a
homeless guy on the street, right, I mean, I mean
he could go and squeeze and get that dollar, give
me that last dollar. That's who Jimmy Sexon is. So
I'm sure that was some of those moves. But it
was also I wonder where if there is an extension,
because there was some discussion about that. And see, you
(11:15):
also have to wonder how the Indiana loss plays into that,
because if you're Greg Burn, can you come out from
a PR standpoint and give the Born extension? Maybe you
come out and put money in the NIL collective, or
you know, hey, we're more committed to this type of
resources or whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
But I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
If you're Greg Byrn, can you add those two years
right now? Not from a PR standpoint, I don't know
if you can. But they had to have some type
of verbal agreement for them to move beyond the Michigan
talk because it went quiet in a hurry here in
Tusclus and it was heavy. It's all the fan base
wanted to talk about. All the fan base wanted to
(11:56):
talk about, what do you go to Michigan?
Speaker 4 (11:58):
What do you go to Michigan?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
So if it hadn't been for that, that probably less
than the blow of the Indiana game.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, and you've and Ryan Follers joining us from the
game in TUSCALOOSAD, You've had the opportunity to talk to
him many times. Softie and I have had the opportunity
to talk to him many times, and I think, you know,
we're a little we've got a different because we've had
a we've had personal, you know, intricate times with Kaylen
de Bor many many times. We've got a different vibe
(12:26):
than you know, the typical Husky fan that had never
met him before, and just you know, screw you.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
You went to Malabama, you left us. I get that.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I totally get why Husky fans are reveling in Kaylen
de Bor's failure this year. I don't revel in it,
but and I do look at him, and I there's
almost kind of a part of me that feels a
little bit sorry for him because he Ryan.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
He looks old, you know how, Like you.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
See like a nephew or a niece you haven't seen
in a year or two and they come over to
your house for dinner and you're like, oh my gosh,
you look so much older.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Ryan.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
He looks five to ten ten years older than the
day he left Washington.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
How hard has this been on him?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Because it just looks like this whole thing's taking a
toll on him.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Well, let me say this, he's lost a lot of
weight from that, and I think that probably is maybe
the change is just losing weight.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
And I'm sure probably he's missed a few meals, right,
I mean, because this job.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I can't explain this job it really, I mean to
put it in your audience perspective.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Okay, this is about twenty fifth year of radio in
Tuscos this year.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
No, actually last year it was twenty five, so it'll
be year number twenty six. I started in two thousand
and it's all we talk about. I do four hours
of Alabama football, five days a week. I talked nothing
about anything else. If I mentioned the NBA or the NFL,
my audience would flip over my toyota.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
It just it would. I mean, it's just crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Okay, there's a different demand down here. There's a different
understanding that your microscope. But I remember one of the
first conversations that I had with Caitlin of HR in February.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Of except the job. I was telling him. He was like,
tell me what you do.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And I told him and He's like, wow, that is
as crazy, Like what do you talk about.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
So there's a different microscope that you're under.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I mean, you know, fans are driving by the football
building at nine o'clock at night going is he still there?
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Is he still working? I mean, I mean that's the topic.
I mean, you just.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Don't understand the scrutiny. And I'm listen it not to
coach Nick Saban. You got to remember back in twenty twelve,
twenty thirteen, you know, Miss Terry in Texas and that
fort there that was there from you know, talking about
the fan base didn't really appreciate them winning the three
(14:52):
national titles. And you know, because the twenty thirteen went
the other way and they lost on that kicked six
play to offer, and there was an appreciation, like the
fans don't really appreciate the winning. They do appreciate it,
but it's all they have to do. There is no
other distraction. And that's what's different about this job. And
(15:14):
I'm sure that comes to a different level of pressure.
But also understand that Calen de Board this year coached
his absolutely butt off to put this team in a
position to go win a playoff game, to make the playoffs.
This is not one of the most talented in Alabama teams,
even though you compared the talent to Indiana. The talent
(15:37):
here is not what a lot of people think it is.
There was a dip in talent that lasts three to
four years in coach Saban's tenure, and Caylen to Board
would never admit this, but I bet you he walked
in thinking this big talent, pull over here, and when
(15:58):
he gets here, he win. Where's the offensive lineman? Where
are these guys? Because those monsters that you think about
Alabama football, they were not here.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, because he was coming from the best offensive line
in football in Washington, the Joe morri winning offensive line,
and he goes to Alabama, he doesn't have the same guys.
He brought one or two of them with them. He
brought broils for with them. I mean, look look at
Josh Quavis. He didn't do anything for you guys. Look
at what he's here. I mean, he was a safety
outlet for this team.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
And I don't know whether this team would be without
a Parker Brells or a Josh Quavis or a Germ.
I mean, I just don't know where this team would be.
So if you, if you're a sensible fan, you look
at the young players that have made an impact. Those
are Kaelin of Boor's recruits.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Those are his guys.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Very few of these guys are Sabans, guys that were
left over that are making the impact. I'm not here
to crack on Nick Saban. I'm just trying to give
you some transparency to understand what he walked into. He
walked into a very difficult challenge if the cover would
have been completely stocked, but it wasn't. He walked into
a situation that Saban was having trouble hiring assistant coaches.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Here.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
He couldn't recruit assistant coaches. I mean, I mean he
was recruiting guys that were two steps away from the
nursing home. And I don't mean that sarcastically. And you
got to remember Kevin Steele retired before he did, and
that was his defensive coordinator. I watched him at the
Rolls ball against Michigan. He barely couldn't get across the field.
I thought I was gonna have to go help a
(17:35):
defensive coordinator get across the field, Like I mean, I'm
watching him and I'm going what I mean, This is
the coach Saban that was the last two or three years.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
And most fans will never admit.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
That because they don't understand the running backs that Alabama
had to deal with this year. The running backs were
those were saving guys. They were saving guys. Now, you
could also rebuttal and say you got the portal, go
plan it up, go pleaned it up.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Well, you gotta have a you gotta have a ton
of money right now.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
And I think Alabama was lacking in that transfer portal
in Aisle Fun last year. I think that's now has
been cleaned up. And I think that Michigan job that
may have been what helped kind of understand you gotta
spend money in college football.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
This is UDUB fans right there too.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
If you want to be competitive, that's right. You gotta
find a way to spend money in the portal. If not,
you're not gonna be competitive. You got to buy your way.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
To the top.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Ryan, we really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
No, it's been a long day, a tough day for
you guys down there in Tuscaloosa. But thanks for shedding
light on the whole situation with us back here in Seattle.
Because as long as Kaitlyn de Bor is the coach
in Alabama, there's gonna be a lot of people interested
in Alabama football up here in Seattle, so we really
appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Roll Todd.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Sounds good. That's uh.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's our friend Ryan Fowler from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We'll come
back a little fun with audio before we chat with
Big al Kiniski on ninety three point three KJFM.
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