Five Questions: Oklahoma vs Alabama
Welcome to Five Questions, a weekly article featuring insights from experts on the Oklahoma Sooners’ upcoming opponents. For week eleven, Payton Guthrie spoke with Brent Taylor, editor for Roll Bama Roll, about what to expect from the Crimson Tide against the Oklahoma Sooners.
FIVE QUESTIONS: OKLAHOMA VS. Alabama
Payton Guthrie - How has Alabama performed during its first season without Nick Saban? Has the team lived up to your preseason expectations?
Brent Taylor - There was a lot of gnashing of teeth after Alabama fell to Vanderbilt and then to Tennessee. And, yeah, the Vandy loss was bad, there's no excusing a team meltdown like that. Tennessee? Whatever. The Tide actually played pretty well as a team and the QB uncharacteristically forgot how to throw the ball on target to wide open players. It happens.
Past that, though, Alabama's defense has been, in my opinion, playing better than we've seen it in many years. The year isn't over yet for me to compile all of the advanced stats, but this is a top-5 defense in the country right now, and Alabama's been more like top 15-ish ever since 2018.
Offensively, it's been a tough team to nail down. They can be a bit maddening with flurries of huge plays but a lack of sustained drives or playing like a normal offense. Still, the advanced metrics love them.
With that said, Alabama has pretty well met expectations for me. There was always going to be growing pains after losing almost 40% of the roster and the entire coaching and management staff from the year before, plus the new SEC schedule, so two losses is about what I expected. The offense hasn't been as consistent as I had hoped after watching Michael Penix at Washington, but the defense has been much better than expected.
Ultimately, this is a team that's still overcoming the same flaws that plagued them from 2021-2023. As the season has gone on, we've seen them start to morph away from that and into something more like what, I think, the new coaching staff was preaching in the offseason. I think that's a good sign, and I'm encouraged.
Payton Guthrie - When Alabama has the ball how will they try to exploit the solid defense of the Oklahoma Sooners?
Brent Taylor - Alabama's offense doesn't seem to be particularly interested in changing their approach to different opponents too much. The whole thing is built on the Jalen Milroe run, and they go as he does. The Tide's OL isn't great at blocking at the point of attack, but they (and all of the skill players) are downright nasty at downfield and perimeter blocking, so one Milroe gets some space, a 5-yard gain turns into a 50-yard TD in a blink. On top of that WRs Ryan WIlliams and Germie Bernard are electric downfield threats that Milroe is always looking to get on the deep ball every drive or two. It doesn't always connect, but he's going to be going for it.
Still, Alabama's offense isn't without weakness. A decent edge rush (or even someone willing to relentlessly send corner blitzes) can absolutely wreck Milroe's penchant for long-developing pass plays or catch him from the backside on some of the delayed runs. If Oklahoma can keep up that edge pressure, then the Tide will have to resort to the quick passes to TEs or RBs over the middle. When Milroe is willing to do that, he usually counters the blitzes well. But he's also prone to throwing some real head scratchers under pressure like that, and there have been some disastrous interceptions.
Payton Guthrie - When OU's inept offense has the ball....Well, how will the Crimson Tide shut down the Sooners?
Brent Taylor - I'm gonna be honest with you.... I don't think there's too much scheming that has to be done here to slow down the Sooners' offense. Alabama's defense should out-talent them across the board. The only real thing that has worked against Alabama's defense this year has been QB bootlegs into mid-length passes between zones on 3rd down. Jackson Arnold is a scrambly type of guy, so that could be something that rears its head against the Tide, and DC Kane Wommack will have to figure out the balance of sending enough blitzes to keep him from dancing around to find those zone holes without creating too massive of holes.
Payton Guthrie - What players should Oklahoma fans keep an eye on during the game?
Brent Taylor - The fun new guy lately has been safety Bray Hubbard. The former high school QB was a backup to Keon Sabb to start the season, but an injury to Sabb thrust Hubbard into a starting role and he's been absolutely excellent. He's been good for 1-2 highlight hits per game, and has an interception in every game since taking over as the starter.
On offense, there's obviously freshman Ryan Williams - he's probably the best player on the field at any given time. I'm sure the media coverage of his success has been insufferable for non-Alabama fans, though (it's nearly been insufferable for me), so I'll give you someone under the radar: tight end C.J. Dippre. The veteran tight end only has 16 catches for 192 yards, but he's been a menace with the ball in his hands, and has been excellent at converting 1st downs under pressure, often slipping a tackle to do so
Payton Guthrie - Score Prediction?
Brent Taylor - Oklahoma's offense has been a disaster, to put things mildly. I struggle to see them eclipsing 10 points against Alabama's rapidly improving and maturing defense. Still, let's assume the Alabama offense or special teams is good for one monumental screw up, giving the Sooners about 17 total points.
Meanwhile, the Alabama offense isn't perfect, but they break their fair share of big plays, scoring, say 34 points.