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By Tyler Erzberger
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The Alabama Crimson Tide has a coaching problem before their opening College Football Playoff round game against the Oklahoma Sooners on the road this Friday.
No, it’s not whether head coach Kalen DeBoer will or won’t be poached by the Michigan Wolverines for their open seat.
It’s Ryan Grubb’s and Alabama’s non-existent running game heading into the biggest game of the year.
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For a school that produced some of the greatest running backs in college history and was known for its tough, pound-it style under the leadership of Nick Saban, that evaporated in 2025 under Grubb.
In their most-recent game against rival Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide's running attack was historically woeful. Overall, they had a negative three rushing yards on the day, which were the fewest for any Alabama team in over a quarter-century.
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When asked about what strategies he might deploy against the Sooners to get the run game going, his answer was less than ideal for Alabama fans.
“I’ve used them all,” he admitted.
He went on to say that each game is different and that there needs to be a “feeling out” process before knowing exactly how to attack a specific defense on the day.
Grubb and DeBoer will have to hope that they can pinpoint how to unlock their running game early against the Sooners, or it might be a short run in the Playoff for both coaches and the Crimson Tide as a whole.
The winner of Alabama and Oklahoma will head west to Los Angeles for New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl against top-seeded Indiana and Heisman Award winner Fernando Mendoza.
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