Alabama’s message this week is coming through loud and clear: the margin for mistakes is gone.
According to tight end Marshall Pritchett, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has made it plain inside the program that the Crimson Tide are entering the stretch where every game carries postseason weight. After the loss to Tennessee, Grubb’s tone has shifted toward urgency, with Pritchett summarizing it this way: “His message was, ‘Look, the playoffs start now,'” Pritchett said.
“For us, round one is Texas A&M. There’s no more room for error.
We all took accountability for what happen in this game. Nobody was perfect.
I’m just excited to get back out there.”
That reality is sitting right in front of Alabama. The Tide are still alive in the College Football Playoff race despite losses to Georgia and Tennessee, but they’re on the outside looking in at the moment.
What they do still control is their own path. If Alabama wins out, it will put itself in strong position to stay in the postseason conversation.
The schedule leaves no breathing room. Alabama is No. 13 in this week’s AP poll and has five games left: home dates with Texas A&M, Chattanooga and Auburn, plus road trips to LSU and Vanderbilt.
Starting now, head coach Kalen DeBoer said the challenge will get uncomfortable because the Tide can’t afford another slip. Teams with three regular-season losses usually don’t make the College Football Playoff.
Pritchett said he still has full faith in both Grubb and starting quarterback Keelon Russell heading into Saturday’s matchup with Texas A&M. “Obviously I trust in Grubb, and I trust in Keelon,” Pritchett said. “It’s up to me to go out there and execute.”
Right tackle Michael Carroll echoed that the staff’s approach this week has been about getting back to basics. “He’s said we got to take it back to the simple things and work our way back up,” Carroll said. “We got to work hard.”
Alabama will host Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
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