It’s not easy replacing a legend as a head coach. It’s even harder if that coach won six national championships in 12 years at a school that expects to win big every year.

Enter Kalen DeBoer.

DeBoer is fresh off taking Washington to the College Football Playoff title game. And he’s had amazing success at three schools.

But trying to replace Nick Saban at Alabama is unlike any challenge he has faced.

Will he succeed?

“I think Kalen DeBoer, with his record (104-12) at repeated places, is an established top-level football coach,” one SEC coach said. “I don’t think there’s any question about that. And in this day and age, it’s easier to implement offensive football systems because there’s so much similarity within systems.

“Whereas on defense, there are a lot of differences. When you go from one system defensively to another, there could be major changes.”

That would indicate DeBoer is likely to have more offensive production in his first year at the Capstone than defensive proficiency.

If so, multitalented Jalen Milrose must have a banner season. Known more for his running, Milrose blossomed into a effective passer last season, helping the Crimson Tide win the SEC and make the College Football Playoffs.

DeBoer had marvelous success at Washington with Michael Penix, the injury plagued Indiana transfer who led the nation in passing yards last season.

“Jalen is a different style quarterback (than Penix),” the coach said. “I don’t think that will be a factor. DeBoer only had Penix for two years. But DeBoer has a little bit of an adjustment in losing his offensive coordinator (Ryan Grubb) to the Seahawks.”

Still, DeBoer might have a harder time replacing the defensive mind of Saban.

“The biggest change people don’t understand is Alabama, since 2007, has had maybe the best defensive mind in the history of college football (in Saban),” the coach said.

“Occasionally somebody might get him but he was so far ahead of taking away what people did best on offense on a weekly basis and was willing to tweak things to stop what you do best. When that walks out the door, it’s arguably not replaceable. They’ve still got talent but there’s a major change defensively, and how that transpires remains to be seen.”

Another concern is how hard DeBoer will drive his players.

“One player told me, `We used to train like the Marines, now we train like the Peace Corps,’” one coach said. “Kalen is great but he wants to make everybody happy.“

GEORGIA

Alabama isn’t the only SEC team that’s an odd’s on favorite to make the 12-team CFP.

Georgia won back-to-back national titles before being upset by Alabama in the SEC championship game, thus being denied a spot in the four-team playoff last year.

The Bulldogs are a preseason No. 1 pick and for good reason.

“Georgia has obviously accumulated unbelievable talent and they have a great coaching staff,” one SEC coach said. “I don’t know if there will ever be another Nick Saban with six national championships in 12 years. That’s hard to do. But Georgia’s got a chance to do it.”

One coach said Kirby Smart is ultra successful because he learned from Saban on the field, in recruiting, in roster management and in management of a team.

“And he did a smart thing: he adapted it to his personality,” the coach said. “He didn’t try to be Nick Saban. He was Kirby Smart. Most of them (former Saban assistants) try to be Nick Saban.”

Other keys to Smart’s remarkable record: “Recruiting, the system, the culture, player development, discipline, practice plans, coaching staff,” said a coach.

One coach said Georgia is the best job in the SEC.

“It has to be,” he said. “When you look at the level of high school football in the state of Georgia, they’re the only SEC in the state with prolific high school football. LSU is a lot like that. If you farm your own land, you got a chance.”

And Georgia likely will have a chance for a third national title in four years.

“Georgia has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Carson Beck and they always have good skill position players,” a coach said. “I think Georgia’s offense will rank among the best in the SEC.”

TEXAS

Texas is the new kid on the block and the most likely newcomers to create chaos at the top of the league hierarchy.

The Longhorns made the CFP last year for the first time and return quarterback Quinn Ewers and a talented roster.

“Texas is at the point where they reload, like Georgia, Alabama and LSU,” said one coach. “They’re close to being able to win the SEC. And yes, they’re a College Football Playoff team.”

Other SEC coaches have respect for Steve Sarkisian.

“I think Steve Sarkisian has really done like what Kirby Smart did at Georgia,” a coach said. “Steve went to Alabama and soaked in the Saban way and adapted his personality to his player development, to his system, to his practices. He’s made Texas a more physical operation. They really played like an SEC team this year.”

One coach noted that Sarkisian nearly did at Texas what Saban did at Alabama: Not very good the first year, played for the conference championship the next year, then played for the national title. Saban won it in Year 3 at Alabama. Sarkisian made the four-team playoff.

Ewers was a big reason for Texas’ ascent.

“He’s a very good player,” a coach said. “And in Steve Sarkisian, you’ve got a quarterback whisperer.  Steve and Lane Kiffin have an uncanny ability to take what they have at quarterback and make it better than what somebody else would.”

LSU

LSU produced a second Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in five years. Not many schools can make that claim.

“Replacing that quarterback (Jayden Daniels) is going to be hard,” one SEC coach said. “He was a phenomenal football player, a difference maker. He could win games for you almost single handedly. That’s hard to replace.”

The replacement is junior Garret Nussmeier, who has had two terrific games in limited action. Last season, he passed for 395 yards and three touchdowns in a bowl win over Wisconsin. The year before, in the SEC championship game against Georgia, he was 15 of 27 for 294 yards and two scores against one of the nation’s top defenses.

“He’s talented, a good player, good quarterback,” one coach said. “But a different kind of player (than Daniels).”

Nussmeier is an elite passer but doesn’t have Daniels’ running ability.

LSU’s defense was dismal last year, but that could be fixed, thanks to two hires.

“I will tell you this,” one coach said, “one of best assistant coach hires was Brian Kelly getting (defensive line coach) Bo Davis from Texas. Davis will get LSU’s defensive line right, like he got Texas’ defensive line right. Texas had one of the best defensive lines in the country last year, bar none. LSU’s defensive line will be remarkably better this year. Bo Davis was the best assistant coach hire in the country.”

Another high-profile hire was plucking defensive coordinator Blake Baker away from Missouri.

“They changed defensive coordinators (from Matt House to Baker),” one coach said. “I’m not sure House’s style worked. It was all over the place, a lot of exchange responsibilities. Hence, a lot of busts.

“It’s going to be interesting (in 2024 with Baker) because it’s a major difference. Sometimes you need to cut it back, you need to simplify.”

Is LSU a CFP team?

“I think LSU, potentially, if they play good defense and don’t turn the ball over, could be a playoff team every year,” one coach said. “That’s hard in the SEC. Things have to align right, but they’ve got as good a chance as anybody in SEC, except Georgia.”

OLE MISS

Ole Miss is a popular pick to make the 12-team playoff. The Rebels, coming off a 10-win season, are a preseason top 10 in most polls.

“What Lane Kiffin has done at Ole Miss is magical,” said one coach. “Lane has put all his marbles and money into this year. He’s done as good a job as anyone in college football, the way he’s turned that program around. If he gets in the 12 (CFP) it’s one of the greatest jobs in college football. Remember, Ole Miss never won the (SEC) West and hasn’t won the SEC since 1963.”

Kiffin has relied heavily on the transfer port, thus earning the nickname The Portal King.

“There’s so much turnover there in terms of players, it’s hard to win consistently at a high level,” said one coach, skeptical of Kiffin’s approach. “Lane Kiffin will give some people some fits. But two or three times a year, Ole Miss doesn’t look like the same team, to be honest.

“Every portal guy that comes in brings his culture with him. He doesn’t always adapt to your culture. What kind of effect does that have on the locker room? Michigan State one year struck gold (in the portal). The next year, disaster.”

One thing seems certain: Kiffin will get production from the most important position on the field.

“Lane is always good at quarterback,” one coach said. “He always does what his quarterback can do. He helped Alabama make the national championship game (2014) with Blake Sims at quarterback. And he won a national championship (2015) with Jacob Coker, who was not exceptional but very smart. Lane figures out a way to make quarterbacks good.”

Said another coach: “I think Lane is such a good play-caller. He’s doing more with less. But against Georgia and Alabama, they don’t have a chance. But they do have a head coach who schematically attacks and does a good job calling plays on game day. He’s got an offense that can score on anybody.”