The Oklahoma Sooners and the Alabama Crimson Tide are two of the five best blue blood programs in the history of college football, and the two teams will square off on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa in a game that has massive College Football Playoff implications.
OU upset ‘Bama in shocking fashion in Norman last year, winning 24-3 against the top ten Tide to get to bowl eligibility. That loss knocked Alabama out of last season’s CFP, and they’ll be looking for revenge in a matchup that has much more on the line this time around.
The Sooners pulled off the stunner behind a run game that looked the best it had all season, and a suffocating performance from the defense on Senior Night. Although this Crimson Tide team has a different quarterback and a different play-caller this year, the recipe for success remains pretty similar to that, though OU will certainly need better than 9-for-12 passing for just 68 yards to win this year.
While the run game and improved passing effectiveness on offense will be stories to watch in this game, Oklahoma’s defense will have to play some of the best ball it has played all season to go into Bryant-Denny Stadium and get an important win.
Here are three keys for the OU defense against the Bama offense.
1. Stop the Run
Last week, Alabama beat LSU at home 20-9, despite having just 56 total rushing yards. In a win to close out October against South Carolina, the Tide ran for just 72 yards. At this point in the season, Alabama isn’t running the ball extremely effectively, and the Sooners need to take advantage. Much like they did against Tennessee, if Oklahoma can eliminate the run and make the Crimson Tide feel like they can’t count on it, that’ll bode well for this defense overall.
2. Pressure Ty Simpson
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has looked like one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks this season, and he’s very comfortable in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense. If he has time to throw, which he typically does behind a good offensive line, he can make you pay in the secondary. He’s been sacked just three times total in the last two games. The Sooners need to get to him at least that many times on Saturday and force him to hurry some decisions in the pocket.
3. Turnovers will make the difference
Against Tennessee, Oklahoma finally forced some giveaways at pivotal points in the game, and it aided their chances to win tremendously. Alabama is an excellent team with a very good offense, and the Sooners have given up a lot of yards and conversions to the other really good offenses they’ve faced in Ole Miss and Tennessee. One of the differences between losing to the Rebels and winning over the Volunteers was the turnover battle, and the Sooners need to win that battle on Saturday against the Crimson Tide. This game is another big test for Brent Venables’ defense, but if they’re up to the challenge, there’s a path for Oklahoma to get one of the biggest wins of his head coaching career.
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