ESPN’s “College GameDay” offered Alabama fans a rare glimpse into the Crimson Tide’s past and present on Saturday as current head coach Kalen DeBoer joined the set along with former coach Nick Saban.

Saban, 72, asked DeBoer, the former Washington coach, what was the most meaningful thing he learned from his team early in the season that will impact the rest of the season.

“I’m very confident that our consistent preparation – preparation throughout the week, not just what happens on Saturday – leads us to an inner confidence that is real, and I believe in it,” DeBoer said.

“I learned that our upperclassmen, spread across the team, did a great job of taking the youngsters with them, knowing how important they were, and helping them prepare for Saturday and game day to prepare.

Shortly after DeBoer took the job, it was indicated that there would be a player turnover, but DeBoer explained how he bridged that gap.

“I knew that when I came here with these guys on that Friday night it would be dead quiet,” DeBoer said of his first days on the job. “You have a lot of questions. There were a lot of emotions and things that they were going through and it was about meeting them where they were at. We use the word “hug” a lot, but that’s exactly what it was about.”

Saban, who won six of his seven national championships at Alabama, pointed out that DeBoer had the upper hand from the start.

“The real advantage you had was that they were really sick of my ass,” Saban joked.

Mark Heim is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile app.