A year ago, Oklahoma dragged Alabama into the Norman mud and left them gasping. A 24-3 drubbing that embarrassed Kalen DeBoer and set off a long offseason of questions about physicality and identity for the Tide. On Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, the Tide finally have their shot at payback and maybe something more than just redemption.
No. 11 Oklahoma arrives at 7-2, still clinging to playoff dreams but looking more bruised than their record suggests. On the other side, the fourth-ranked Tide were in this same position last year. DeBoer's squad was reeling from two losses, riding a three-game win streak, and trying to run the table for a shot at the College Football Playoff. Though some things have changed, the Sooners’ swagger now runs through quarterback John Mateer, a true dual-threat who can gut a defense with his legs, which is an Achilles’ heel for Alabama.
OU Running back Xavier Robinson, a familiar nemesis for the Tide, is coming off his best game of the season with 16 carries and 115 yards. Arguably the first real sign of a consistent ground attack for Oklahoma all year. If he can replicate that effort, Venables’ offense will hum.
The issue? Mateer’s passing touch hasn’t been the same since his thumb surgery, forcing Oklahoma to lean on design and chaos more than precision. They compensate with a ferocious front seven, which is one of the most disruptive in the country. Led by R. Mason Thomas who is third in the SEC with a 90.1 pass-rush grade, and David Stone, who can collapse a pocket before it even forms.
Across the field, Alabama looks more steady and forces the issue by being physical. Ty Simpson doesn’t light up highlight reels, but he’s ruthlessly efficient. The Heisman candidate has just one interception all year and a 91.2 passing grade when kept clean.
Simpson operates calmly behind one of the nation’s best pass-blocking lines, though when that wall breaks, he’s been guilty of holding the ball a bit too long. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Simpson from Week 1, when Florida State got to him repeatedly and this Oklahoma front has the tools to do the same.
Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard have become the perfect rhythm-setters for a balanced, mistake-free attack. The combination of Simpson’s composure and these playmakers on the perimeter gives Alabama an offensive formula that was missing in last year’s loss. But old habits die hard in Tuscaloosa.
The Tide still gets queasy against mobile quarterbacks, and Venables knows it. Expect Oklahoma to test their discipline with misdirection and option looks, forcing Deontae Lawson and the linebackers to prove they’ve learned from last year's humiliation.
For Alabama, it’s less about revenge and more about restoration. For Oklahoma, it’s survival. Either way, this one promises sixty minutes of great football for those dressed in crimson.
No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 11 Oklahoma on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
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