The Alabama Crimson Tide picked up a huge win over Texas A&M, moved back inside the top 10 of the AP poll, and now get a bye week to rest up. However, the good vibes came with some bad news along the offensive line.

After the game, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer updated the status of starting guard Will Sanders, and the timeline doesn’t sound short.

Why losing Will Sanders hurts Alabama’s run game

“He’s probably one guy that could be out for a little bit, not a week or two; it could be a couple more than that,” DeBoer said via the Alabama YouTube channel after the game.

To me, that means that despite the bye week, we are unlikely to see Sanders on the field against LSU. That is going to be a major problem for Alabama, even if center Racin Delgatty is back in the lineup.

The Crimson Tide’s ground game simply hasn’t been good enough. Against the Aggies, the offense managed 71 total rushing yards. Keelon Russell and Daniel Hill tied for the team lead with nine carries apiece.

Sanders has been one of the bright spots up front. We break down the tape every week, and he’s an excellent guard when it comes to pulling and getting out in space to find defenders. So inserting Kaden Strayhorn, or whoever else gets the call, isn’t going to be that easy.

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Racin Delgatty’s return could change everything

If Alabama gets Delgatty back, I believe it could completely change the complexion of this rushing attack.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Alabama lost its starting center and the run game suddenly fell off a cliff. The offensive line’s ability to create any momentum on the ground disappeared right along with him. Delgatty has been the straw that stirs the drink for a lot of the run concepts Alabama is trying to execute.

Having him back would be a major win. Still, you want every one of your starters available, especially along the interior of the offensive line, when you’re trying to run the football against LSU. Following DeBoer’s update, that’s not going to be the case.

Alabama has 2 weeks to find answers on the ground

I’m not going to say that Alabama won’t be able to beat the Tigers or that it won’t be able to run the ball. But the recent evidence isn’t encouraging.

Against Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide couldn’t put the Aggies away and resorted to running Russell over and over. The Tennessee game told a similar story, with the rushing attack once again falling short of what this offense needs.

Losing yet another starting offensive lineman isn’t going to help that situation. The bottom line is that Alabama has two weeks to figure it out, and the answer will go a long way toward deciding what happens against LSU.