Greg McElroy knows that Bill O’Brien did not have the most popular tenure at the University of Alabama as its offensive coordinator. However, he still thinks O’Brien’s 2 years in Tuscaloosa were underrated and that he did “more with less” compared to some previous regimes.

He reacted to the news O’Brien would be leaving for another stint in New England Tuesday morning on Always College Football. Below is what he had to say.

“Several have cited the fact that Bill O’Brien struggled in the red zone, Bill O’Brien has struggled to create a consistent run game, all these other things,” McElroy said. “Y’all, Bill O’Brien was the coordinator of the Crimson Tide in 2021, a season that saw Bryce Young throw for nearly 5,000 yards, or account for nearly 5,000 yards, 47 touchdowns, 7 interceptions; you name it they did it, with 2 great wide receivers on the perimeter, and couple that with a somewhat inconsistent offensive line. I think he did more with less than what some of the previous coordinators have done.”

You can hear McElroy’s full comments below.

This will be a polarizing take for Alabama fans. McElroy, obviously a former Alabama QB, may field responses that say Bryce Young and his ability to create on offense would make any coordinator look like a genius. Conversely, Alabama did not quite have the offensive talent it has had in the past in 2022, which plays to McElroy’s later point.

Others will say O’Brien was not necessarily a bad OC, just a poor fit at Alabama, a school that doesn’t take anything less than legitimate competition for championships every season.  Alabama’s offense, even with Young, was simply not championship level in 2022. The Crimson Tide averaged 477 yards per game in 2022, good enough for No. 11 in the country. That’s objectively good, but still not quite enough for a top 4 finish.

Does McElroy have a point or is he off base?