Paul Finebaum lays out enormous stakes for Ryan Grubb in Alabama-LSU game
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide are heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in Week 10 for a showdown against Lane Kiffin and the No. 14 LSU Tigers at Death Valley in what could be the game of the year in the SEC.
With both programs already sitting at two losses on the season, Saturday’s matchup has essentially become a must-win for each team if they want to keep their SEC title and College Football Playoff aspirations alive.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher for either side in this heavyweight matchup, but SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum explained why Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may have the most on the line this weekend during Saturday morning’s edition of SEC Nation.
“This is a referendum not so much on Kalen DeBoer, but on everybody’s favorite subject Ryan Grubb,” Finebaum said. “I interviewed Pat Smith yesterday, the local talkshow host at WTLS, and he said that the calls this week on his show have pretty much been that 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 here today.”
As Finebaum said, Grubb has faced significant criticism for his performance as Alabama’s play caller this season, with fans and analysts alike placing much of the team’s struggles over the past several weeks squarely on his shoulders.
If the Tide’s offense comes out flat once again against the Bayou Bengals, pressure on Grubb is likely reach a boiling point. In that event, DeBoer may ultimately be forced to put his longtime friend and assistant on the chopping block in an effort to appease the fan base.
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