Ryan Grubb did not need the scoreboard to tell him the night was far from over. Alabama trailed by 17 points early in Norman, the crowd was roaring, and the College Football Playoff opener appeared to be tilting away. From Grubb’s perspective, nothing had slipped beyond reach.
“It wasn’t pretty for sure,” said Ryan Grubb, Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator. “But I got in the locker room and I just told the guys, that’s the guys I know. That’s the fight that I saw all the way back in August.”
What followed defined the game. Alabama ripped off a 34–7 run that erased the deficit and ended Oklahoma’s season. The momentum swing came on a pick six that ignited the sideline, but the setup was intentional and calculated.
“Even when it was 17–0, I felt like there was a belief that the defense was going to make a play, we were going to make a play, and nobody was giving up,” he said.
Grubb’s steadiness extended beyond play calls. With staff changes affecting communication, he returned to the booth to ensure clarity and clean pictures. He trusted preparation and leaned into young playmakers when the moment demanded it. “I don’t think there’s anybody on that sideline that was surprised that 17 (Lotzeir Brooks) made those plays,” Grubb said. “He’s a stud.”
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To Grubb, playoff football demands a sharper edge. “There’s a finality to it,” he said. “Win or go home puts different value on every snap.”
Alabama embraced that urgency without losing composure. They adjusted. They executed. And they never blinked.
Grubb left no doubt about the mindset moving forward. “Job not done,” he said. “We’re still rolling.”
On a night that required belief before proof, Alabama’s offensive coordinator had it from the start.
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