Alabama football OC Ryan Grubb addresses Oklahoma sign-stealing impact
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Alabama football offensive coordinator got to experience Oklahoma’s ability to interpret opposing signs for himself a month ago when the Sooners defeated UA 23-21 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
It’s a factor he acknowledged was no small issue entering that game, noting the Sooners staff is better than most at it. On Monday, Grubb was asked about his efforts to mask Alabama‘s signals in that game as the Crimson Tide prepares for a rematch against OU on Friday (7 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN).
“I think those guys that are working signals eventually get them during the course of a football game, so you have to have measures throughout the game to combat that,” Grubb said. “I thought there were times where we certainly thought there were some of those things that they had gotten.”
Alabama had little trouble moving the ball against OU’s normally stout defense, piling up 406 yards. However, three turnovers doomed the Crimson Tide (10-3) to its second loss of the season. Although Grubb acknowledged OU likely caught onto some signaling eventually, he didn’t concede that it had an impact.
“I didn’t feel like it affected anything, or got us to a point where we weren’t making a play because of that. We huddled quite a bit as well, so that makes it kind of irrelevant,” Grubb said.
Friday’s winner will move on to face Indiana in a CFP quarterfinal. The Hoosiers, who have a first-round bye, are the No. 1 seed in the playoff.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football OC Ryan Grubb addresses Oklahoma sign-stealing impact
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