Barely losing a game against Georgia in which there was officiating controversy didn’t help Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer in the eyes of skeptical Crimson Tide football fans, but it didn’t hurt him as much as games like 2024 vs. Vanderbilt or his two losses to Oklahoma have. However, today’s loss to longtime rival Tennessee was the final straw to many.
The Crimson Tide entered today’s game against the Volunteers as 7.5-point road favorites, suggesting that they would have been favored by two scores on neutral ground. Instead, Alabama could only score twice amid brutal offensive struggles.
Five turnovers – two interceptions, two lost fumbles and a turnover on downs – wrecked virtually any momentum they could get the entire game. Their only touchdown came after their defense secured an interception that set them up at Tennessee’s 14-yard line. Aside from that, they mustered just one field goal in the second quarter before being shut out in the second half.
It was their worst offensive performance since last season’s Rose Bowl loss to Indiana, and the fourth-fewest points that the Crimson Tide have scored since DeBoer took over in 2024.
As some fans noted, Nick Saban only had three games where the Tide scored 10 points or less in his entire 17-year tenure with the team.
Fans Demand Change
DeBoer’s leadership will probably be in question in the days and weeks to come, but he still has some support even after this loss. The same cannot be said of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who fans have taken issue with for a while and believe is the main culprit in their team’s recent ugly performances.
“I think DeBoer is a top 10 coach. But his coordinators are going to be his downfall. Especially Grubb. Wommack is mid too though,” one user on X remarked.
“This DeBoer/Grubb scheme is great when it works but when it doesn’t, it’s downright ugly, no matter who’s at QB, they just can’t adjust when it’s not working,” another wrote.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“I will not contribute another cent to the university of Alabama until Ryan Grubb is off this staff or in Federal Prison @Greg_Byrne Preferably the latter, thanks,” a third declared.
“There’s nothing ‘offensive-minded‘ about Ryan Grubb. He’s a horrendous OC who has lost us a multitude of games at this point. He shouldn’t be on the return bus to Tuscaloosa.”
The fans have spoken.
Will DeBoer or the Alabama athletic department listen?
