On Monday, Kalen DeBoer called Keelon Russell "day-to-day," and both he and OC Ryan Grubb spoke in uncertain terms about their quarterback's ability to play this weekend at Vanderbilt.
Oddsmakers have reacted.
Alabama opened as a 19.5-point favorite on FanDuel on Sunday. As of Tuesday morning, that line has dropped four full points to -15.5.
That's a huge drop, and likely a reaction of some sharp bettors going heavy on Vanderbilt to cover with the thought that Russell may not be able to give it a go on Saturday in Nashville.
(Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.)
Alabama may be turning to Austin Mack at QB against Vanderbilt with Keelon Russell banged up
Russell limped to the sideline at the conclusion of a third-quarter drive against LSU on Saturday afternoon. He went straight to the injury tent, and backup Austin Mack started warming up on the sideline. It looked initially like Mack was going to go in for Russell.
Instead, Russell emerged from the injury tent and gutted out his foot/ankle injury, leading Alabama to 21 unanswered points to turn a 13-10 deficit into a resounding 31-13 win in Baton Rouge.
The win validated the Crimson Tide's No. 5 slot in last week's College Football Playoff rankings, and now Alabama appears to be in tremendous shape to make the playoff if it can avoid a significant upset in the final three weeks of the regular season.
They just might have to navigate a game without Russell, which is exactly why retaining Mack for another season was so critical. He's a guy the staff has a lot of confidence in, and his knowledge of the system should allow him to play well if his number is called this weekend against Vanderbilt.
The 19.5-point spread for a road game in the SEC was always a little bit high. Vanderbilt is at the bottom of the league this year, but they are far from a bad overall football team. They are well-coached and have some talented players.
Soon-to-be No. 1 Georgia only beat Vanderbilt by 24 points at home, and that game was 21-14 at halftime.
The 'Dores also only lost by 17 at Kentucky, and they just went on the road and knocked off Mississippi State in Starkville. They are going to be well prepared for this game, and you shouldn't be surprised if it's relatively close in the first half, even if Russell gets the start.
DeBoer knows all too well what can happen if you overlook Clark Lea's Vanderbilt in Nashville. That loss two years ago should serve Alabama well this time around. DeBoer knows this game has to be taken seriously, with the same rigorous preparation that afforded the team the right to play so well last weekend in Baton Rouge.
Russell's injury will be closely monitored this week, and we'll get a real update on his status on Wednesday night when the first availability report of the week gets released. Regardless, Alabama should be in good hands at QB with the veteran Mack waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
And whether it be by one point or 50 points, the only thing that matters is getting out of Nashville on Saturday with the win.
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