Nothing is going to come easy for Alabama football in Norman against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night. Oklahoma might be just 5-5, but they are fighting for their bowl lives and perhaps the job of their head coach Brent Venables. They will be prepared for a fight.
Alabama will need to bring its A-game on the road to keep its SEC Championship and College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Each week we take some educated stabs at bold predictions for the Crimson Tide. We've yet to have a perfect week, but we typically get at least one of these right per week. Last week, we correctly predicted Alabama would get its first non-offensive touchdown of the season. Zabien Brown made that a reality against Mercer.
We were also this close to Caleb Odom's first career touchdown reception, but he couldn't quite corral a pass near the goal line on a deep ball from Milroe.
This week, we're striving for perfection.
3 bold predictions for Alabama against Oklahoma
3. CJ Dippre scores his first touchdown at Alabama
In nearly two full seasons in Tuscaloosa, CJ Dippre has yet to find the endzone. I'm betting on that changing against the Sooners.
In its last four games against SEC opponents, Oklahoma has given up a touchdown to a tight end. In three of those four games, the opposing tight end was the leading receiver. They've been susceptible defensively to tight ends.
That shouldn't come as a surprise considering Brent Venables is their head coach. Venables was Clemson's defensive coordinator when OJ Howard victimized the Tigers in back-to-back national championships.
Look for Dippre to finally reach paydirt, catching a touchdown pass from Milroe.
2. Jalen Milroe goes over 100 yards rushing
Oklahoma's defense has been tough to run the football against in a traditional sense. The Sooners rank third in the country in allowing just 2.8 yards per carry this season. Their front seven has been stout and will make life tough for Jam Miller and Justice Haynes.
If Alabama wants to maintain balance on offense, they'll need to run the football and avoid third-and-longs. To do that against Oklahoma, a lot of the weight will be on Milroe's shoulders. He doesn't have to do what he did two weeks ago in Baton Rouge, but he has to be a willing runner and help move the chains with designed runs and scrambles.
Milroe's legs are Alabama's offensive identity, a fact they've figured out in recent weeks. They'll lean on the veteran QB again on the road and he'll once again come through as he eclipses 100 rushing yards once again.
1. Ryan Williams houses a punt return
It's only a matter of time before Ryan Williams scores a touchdown as a punt returner. He's too explosive and too shifty with the ball in his hands.
In a tough road environment against a really good defensive team, it might take a big play on special teams for Alabama to pull away. The uber-talented freshman WR has taken over punt return duties following the season-ending injury to Cole Adams.
Adams was more reliable and less likely to make a big mistake, but Williams is undoubtedly more of a homerun threat. I think Alabama will need a big play in the return game, and when the Tide has needed a big play all season, it has been the 17-year-old kid who steps up when they need it most.