Alabama's Ryan Grubb replacement puts even more pressure on Kalen DeBoer

This was the most logical move for Alabama to make, but man, does this put a ton of pressure on new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer. While I understand a coach of his caliber wanting the opportunity of a lifetime to take over at Alabama, one would have thought his offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb would have lasted more than a month on the job. He is going back to Seattle for the NFL.

No, I don't blame Grubb for taking a brief Tuscaloosa layover if it got him from being the offensive coordinator of the Washington Huskies to being the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. However, it really does make DeBoer look like a chump. He trusted him to follow him across the country from Seattle to Tuscaloosa. Instead, it will be Nick Sheridan calling the plays for Alabama.

Sheridan followed DeBoer to Alabama to keep on being his tight ends coach. He replaced DeBoer as the offensive coordinator at Indiana once he left for the Fresno State gig. While he is a former Michigan quarterback with play-calling experience, this isn't bottom-of-the-barrel Big Ten nonsense. This is Alabama, and you're in the freaking SEC, bro. I wish him the best, but what a tough spot, man.

Other than promoting wide receiver JaMarcus Shepard from within or trying to poach former Fresno State offensive coordinator Kirby Moore away from Missouri, Sheridan was the best option to make.

No, it wasn't like Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz was going to let a second coordinator leave for a similar job in-conference in the same offseason. Blake Baker left the Tigers to lead the LSU defense.

Nick Sheridan has been promoted from within to be the new Alabama OC

It will be yet another season where a 30-something will be calling the plays for Alabama. While it was a slow start for Tommy Rees last season, he did rise to the occasion in the second half of last season. He helped Jalen Milroe grow as a leader and a playmaker. Too bad Seth McLaughlin is about as good at snapping the football between his legs as you and I are. He goes to school for free to do this act!

All I can think about now is what a whimper this feels like for Alabama. Paul Finebaum had the Crimson Tide as a Tier II team in the SEC firmly behind Georgia and Texas, in the same class as Missouri and Ole Miss. Because I believe in the remaining talent and DeBoer's acumen as a head coach, I tend to agree with Finebaum that this is still a College Football Playoff team, albeit in an expanded format.

However, the combination of coach attrition and a mass exodus of on-field talent has the Crimson Tide on the fence of being a contender. Usually whenever an SEC team straddles that line, they fall to the side of being a pretender. The good news for Sheridan is expectations have been diminished for him when compared to what Grubb was going to face. He also has all offseason to work with Milroe.

Again, this was the most logical move for Alabama to make, but why are the Tide even in this position?