Alabama cannot afford to brush off its Tennessee defeat as just another bad Saturday. The offence managed only 10 points against a team that is yet to find rhythm; offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, meanwhile, is facing growing criticism, and the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes are under pressure. So, where do they go from here? Paul Finebaum has an answer, and it takes Alabama back to Seattle.

Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Paul Finebaum delivered a chilling warning about Alabama’s playoff hopes ahead of its looming road clash with Lane Kiffin’s LSU. With the Crimson Tide spiralling after back-to-back defeats, Finebaum made it clear that another loss could spell the end of their College Football Playoff dreams.

“They have to go to LSU,” Finebaum said. “Now, LSU has been all over the place this year, but Alabama does not seem to play that well on the road. I know they beat Mississippi State, but Kamario Taylor was out of that game. … If they drop that game, they’re done. They’re not getting in the playoff.”

Alabama’s road record may stand at 2-1, but its clash against the Bulldogs tells a different story. Kamario Taylor started for Mississippi State on October 3 in Starkville but struggled with an ankle injury before exiting early in the fourth quarter of the Bulldogs’ 56-23 defeat.

The Tide’s only other road victory came against Kentucky, where they overturned a 17-13 halftime deficit with a dominant 32-0 second-half surge to secure a commanding 45-17 win.

Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers have stormed back into the spotlight, climbing to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 after shutting out Mississippi State 31-0 to improve to 5-2.

But Paul Finebaum believes Alabama’s troubles could run much deeper unless the Crimson Tide make a crucial change. His proposed solution? Take a page out of the Seattle Seahawks’ playbook.

“Remember Grubb? He was at Washington under Kalen DeBoer,” Finebaum said. “He came to Alabama, and then he decided to leave after two weeks to go with the Seattle Seahawks. They fired him, and guess what happened the next year? They won the championship running the football, which he refused to do.”

Ryan Grubb’s stint in Seattle quickly unravelled after he left Alabama in February 2024 to take over as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. Seattle finished 10-7 but missed the playoffs, with its ground game ranking 28th in rushing yards (95.7 per game) and 29th in rushing attempts.

The disappointing campaign ultimately cost Grubb his job, as head coach Mike Macdonald pointed to a fundamental disconnect in their offensive vision and approach.

“It’s really as simple as just I felt like the direction our offense was going was different than the vision that I had for our team, and it felt like it was just a necessary decision at this point,” Macdonald said.

Seattle turned the page by bringing in Klint Kubiak, a move that paid off spectacularly as the Seahawks stormed to a 29–13 victory over New England in Super Bowl LX in February. Paul Finebaum believes Alabama should take a page or two out of Seattle’s playbook.

“And the fans right now are not so much after DeBoer, they’re after Ryan Grubb, the offensive coordinator who called a miserable game Saturday,” Finebaum said. “They just got punked against Tennessee, a team that had struggled at times this year.”

Alabama’s high-powered offense suddenly hit a wall in Knoxville. After averaging 49.6 points per game through the first five weeks, the Crimson Tide managed just 10 points and 201 total yards against Tennessee, coughing up the ball four times.

To make matters worse, DeSean Bishop tore through Alabama’s defence for 159 rushing yards, exposing a Tide team that looked nothing like its dominant self. There’s no doubt that the Crimson Tide are falling like a house of cards, but will they make any changes before the LSU clash?