Be advised, Alabama Crimson Tide fans, through decades of being an Alabama fan, by gameday, my optimism always grows. Yesterday, my score prediction was a 17-16 Alabama win. I have a different take now.
Many arguments can be used to explain why the Oklahoma Sooners are the favorite. In what almost everyone believes will be a close game, the Gaylord Family Stadium crowd alone could be enough. I am not convinced the crowd factor will be enough for an Oklahoma win.
Alabama Crimson Tide Gameday Bold Predictions
- The Crimson Tide will win a turnover battle. Kane Wommack has made creating turnovers an essential component of game planning. Sooners quarterback John Mateer is healthier, but Oklahoma sources believe his hand is not fully healed. In a windy game situation, Alabama will pick off Mateer at least twice.
- A presumption drives this prediction, that, honestly, I can only hope will be proven true. It fuels a belief that Alabama has seen everything Brent Venables can dial up defensively. He is arguably college football's best defensive mind, but Alabama should know what to expect from him. The team unit that will present more surprises is the Alabama offense. It will not be a dramatic change, but it will be just enough. Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb will win a brain trust battle over Brent Venables.
- The wind that will bother passers will have a greater impact on kickers, especially field goal kickers. The early afternoon weather forecast for Norman is for winds in the high teens throughout the game, with gusts of up to 30mph. The wind will impact field position, and neither team will want to kick a late-game deciding field goal into the wind swirling into the south end of the stadium. Tate Sandell is a great kicker, but I predict that due to the wind, he will miss two field goal attempts.
If just one of these bold predictions is correct, I predict an Alabama Crimson Tide win of 17-13. If two prove correct, I predict a 24-13 Alabama win.