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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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The Alabama Crimson Tide’s offense has gone from explosive to unreliable in a matter of weeks, and one man is taking most of the heat for it.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has been under fire since Alabama managed just 201 total yards in a 26-10 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 17, which came one week after a 20-17 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. And according to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, Saturday’s showdown with the No. 14 LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge could decide his fate.
“This is a referendum, not so much on Kalen DeBoer, but on everybody’s favorite subject Ryan Grubb,” Finebaum said on Saturday morning’s edition of “SEC Nation.” “I interviewed Pat Smith yesterday, who’s a local talk show host at WJOX.
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“And he said the calls this week on his show have pretty much said, ‘If Ryan Grubb screws this game up like he did the Tennessee game, there will be moving vans sent to his house by midnight.’ That’s how serious the Alabama fans are taking what is happening later today.”
To Finebaum's point, there seems to be some credibility to the heat Grubb is facing.
The Tennessee loss was about as ugly as it gets for the Crimson Tide. Alabama averaged just 3.7 yards per play, converted just two of 13 third downs, and was shut out in the second half. That marked the second straight week the Tide failed to reach the end zone after halftime.
The struggles go beyond one game too. Alabama’s six lowest-yardage games since 2015 have all come under DeBoer, and four of them came with Grubb calling plays, according to Bama247’s Mike Rodak. That list includes the 193-yard showing against Indiana in last season’s Rose Bowl and the 209-yard performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
Things reached a boiling point well before the Tennessee loss though. Grubb was booed during a slow start against Florida State in September and took a shot at fans after the game, which didn’t win him any favors.
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To his credit, Grubb took the blame after the Tennessee loss. DeBoer, who has worked with Grubb dating back to their days at Eastern Michigan, also came to his defense, calling him a “great play-caller.”
The Tide bounced back with a 31-20 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 24. But they entered Saturday with a 6-2 record and No. 5 ranking in the College Football Playoff, knowing a third loss would put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
So far, Grubb’s offense is holding up its end of the bargain. Alabama leads LSU 10-3 at halftime thanks to a 1-yard rushing touchdown from wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams.
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