Alabama fans lets all breathe, relax, and let's see what DeBoer and Grubb do in year two together in Tuscaloosa. We have seen glimpses of how great the offense can be, but it just is not consistent enough. It can be frustrating how, at times, this offense starts off hot and then goes quiet for several possessions. We have seen flashes, but it needs to be consistent week to week. There definitely needs to be some tweaks and changes to how games are called so greatness can be achieved consistently. There is no reason this offense fizzled out so quickly in the SEC Championship Game or in the Rose Bowl. I get that both are great teams with great defenses, but the offensive talent for the Tide is too great to look that basic at times.
Of course, the biggest question and frustration for many is the lack of a running game for Alabama. It is one thing to be better in one aspect of the offense, but for something to basically be obsolete seems crazy with how many talented backs there are on the team. In year two, DeBoer and Grubb need to get it figured out how to successfully establish a consistent running game. We have seen them do it during their final season at Washington. We saw Dillon Lee run for over 1,100 yards, so I know for a fact that with the talent in the running back room for the Crimson Tide, there is no reason why a consistent running game can't be established.
We may never return to the days of past running back glories of the Saban era and even before under this coaching staff, and that is ok as long as it is not nonexistent. With the talent already on the team, to the new backs being brought in from high school recruiting and the transfer portal, there is no reason to see another 2025 when it comes to the running game. If there is another year where the running game is basically forgotten, then the tough decisions that are too early now might be more of what is needed. For now, this is a work in progress, and they are continually working on getting the players that fit the DeBoer/Grubb system.
Let's keep in mind that though the offense is a work in progress and it has not lived up to the potential many expected it to in the first year with both coaches on the staff, this team still made an SEC Championship Game, won a playoff game on the road, and made it to the Rose Bowl. I get that those achievements seem a little hollow considering the way in which the season ended, but this is definitely not the height of what this team can do. Year three of the Kalen DeBoer era may be the most important of any season in Tuscaloosa as far as the overall direction of the football program. It is time for the offensive side of the ball to better match and help with the overall consistency of Kane Wommack's defense.