We're just a little over 24 hours away from the kickoff of the College Football Playoff. Alabama will travel to Oklahoma to battle the Sooners in a rematch of a matchup from a month ago in Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma got the better of Alabama in November, pulling out a 23-21 win thanks to a 3-0 advantage in turnovers. Alabama dominated the game statistically, nearly doubling up Oklahoma in total yards, but couldn't overcome the giveaways.
The final score is all that matters, though, and Alabama ended up on the wrong end of the result. To fix that, Kalen DeBoer will need a few players to step up in critical moments.
3 potential X-Factors for Alabama vs. Oklahoma
1. Michael Carroll
There may not be a more important player for Alabama on Friday night than right tackle Michael Carroll. The freshman will have the weight of the world on his shoulders with the unenviable task of facing Oklahoma star edge rusher R Mason Thomas.
Thomas missed the game a month ago with an injury, but he's off the Oklahoma availability report and ready to go tomorrow night. Brent Venables will certainly move him around, but he will typically line up against Carroll, and how the freshman handles that matchup will go a long way in deciding Alabama's offensive success - or lack thereof.
Ryan Grubb won't leave Carroll on an island. He'll throw tight ends like Josh Cuevas, Kaleb Edwards, and Danny Lewis Jr. over there in hopes of chipping Thomas to give Carroll an advantage.
The one potential positive for Carroll is that Thomas is more of a power rusher than a speed rusher, and Carroll is physical at the point of attack.
It's a tough spot for a freshman to be in, but Carroll is immensely talented and will be up for the task.
2. Josh Cuevas
After missing the last three games, Kalen DeBoer said on Wednesday that senior TE Josh Cuevas would be available against Oklahoma. Cuevas was upgraded from questionable to probable on Alabama's availability report last night.
Cuevas had a strong performance in the regular-season meeting against Oklahoma, putting up 80 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. He was the Tide's leading receiver in that game.
Alabama has sorely missed Cuevas the last few weeks. He has been an excellent safety valve for Ty Simpson, and the Tide's QB will love having him back. His impact as a blocker - like his ability to chip Thomas - cannot be understated, either.
3. Keon Keeley
Alabama will once again be without star Bandit LT Overton. He missed the SEC Championship Game and will miss this week's CFP matchup, too, with an undisclosed illness.
Against Georgia, the snaps were split close to evenly between Jordan Renaud (33 snaps) and Keon Keeley (25 snaps). Renaud started and is in line to do it again against Oklahoma, but there could be a bigger role for Keeley in this game.
Oklahoma has struggled running the football this year, which means they will likely put a lot on the shoulders of QB John Mateer to get the offense going. That means a lot of drop-backs, and Keeley is the better pass rusher of the two.
Keeley has carved out a role for himself this year, but this could be his moment to fully break out and show the promise that made him a 5-star recruit coming out of high school.