OKLAHOMA CITY — Alabama faces a tougher roadblock than it might appear in its quest to maintain positioning for the College Football Playoff.
Sure, Oklahoma has struggled in its first Southeastern Conference season. The Sooners (5-5, 1-5 SEC) have lost four straight conference games. The Sooners have fired their offensive coordinator and they have the worst offense in the league.
But they have a tough defense, too. Linebacker Danny Stutsman, a midseason AP All-American, anchors a nasty unit that has kept the Sooners competitive in losses at Ole Miss and Missouri. He ranks second in the SEC with 96 tackles. Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. has scored four defensive touchdowns since the start of the 2023 season, tied for the most nationally. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has seven sacks, with six coming in the fourth quarter of close games.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is paying attention.
“It’s going to take a great week of preparation,” DeBoer said. “A physical football team all around. Their defense is, I think, an extremely tough defense in all ways — just what they do with their scheme and then with their personnel, the way they fly around.”
Plus, Oklahoma is motivated. It’s Senior Day for a program that would become bowl eligible with a win.
Beating the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide could cure a lot of ills for the Sooners.
“I think they know they could be a great example for what fight and what belief and what finishing and what improving and what proving people wrong looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “And I think this is a group of guys that are committed to doing that.”
Alabama (8-2, 4-2) has more answers than most. Jalen Milroe has passed for 15 touchdowns and rushed for 17. Freshman receiver Ryan Williams has 40 catches for 767 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Yeah, incredibly explosive, and they have great playmakers everywhere," Venables said. “Certainly, it starts — everything goes through the quarterback.”
There has been much talk about what a third loss would do to Alabama's playoff hopes. DeBoer said his team isn't focused on that.
“I think we're really honed in and the guys really believe on and have understood the significance of really focusing on where we’re at right now,” he said. “We talk about the next play is the most important play, the next game is the most important game. We haven’t thought about anything beyond Oklahoma.”
Milroe is only the fourth SEC quarterback since 2007 to have at least 15 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns in a single season. The others won the Heisman Trophy during their seasons — Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007, Auburn's Cam Newton in 2010 and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel in 2012.
“I think it just starts with doing what’s best for the team, and that’s what Jalen is all about," DeBoer said.
Since returning to the lineup early against South Carolina four games ago, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold has completed 70 of 112 passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns with no interceptions.
Still, his fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the final minute against Missouri was the difference in a 30-23 loss.
Arnold has dealt with significant criticism all season.
“That goes along with that position at a place like the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “That’s a position that’s a little bit … it’s a bit like the head coach position. There’s a different type of microscope and there’s a different type of focus and that’s okay he’s got broad shoulders to handle that.”
Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns against Maine two weeks ago, then he sat out last week's loss to Missouri. He's listed as questionable on this week's injury report. He leads the Sooners with 577 yards rushing this season.
Venables is impressed with what DeBoer has done in his first year at Alabama since taking over for Nick Saban.
“One of Kalen’s strengths as a football coach — a very successful coach — is he takes a group of players that he has, and their staff figures out what they can do,” Venables said. “They major in that, put them in position to be successful based on the players’ strengths. They’ve done a nice job of doing that throughout the course of the season.”
Oklahoma beat heavily favored Alabama 45-31 in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2013 season, a game that helped pump energy into the Sooner program under Bob Stoops. Alabama got revenge in 2018, beating the Sooners 45-34 in the College Football Playoff.