Alabama Football: 3 keys to victory in revenge game against Oklahoma

The stage is set. The Alabama Crimson Tide is set to face Oklahoma in a revenge game after last year's loss at the hands of the Sooners, which effectively knocked them out of playoff contention. This year, the roles are reversed. The Tide can cement itself as a 2025 playoff team, while another loss for Oklahoma likely means the same as it did for Bama last year: Lose and you're out.

Saying Alabama's strength of schedule over the last six weeks has been tough is an understatement. They've knocked off four ranked opponents since the end of September. They took out South Carolina on the road and followed it up with a win over LSU at home. This week, they get their biggest remaining test in Oklahoma, and will need to capitalize on these three keys to victory if they wish to continue their dominant stretch.

1. Be prepared for John Mateer's dual-threat capability

Although Alabama's defense is solid in all facets, the one area you could point to for exploitation is against dual-threat quarterbacks. Oklahoma, which leans on read options more than many teams, is the one area of concern I have going into Saturday. In last year's matchup against the Sooners, this was the area Alabama let the game get away. Then-Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold ran the ball 25 times for 131 yards, averaging 5.2 YPC.

Between Arnold and bell cow back Xavier Robinson, the two combined for 43 rush attempts and 238 yards on the ground, dominating the time of possession 34:11 to 25:49. Expect the Crimson Tide to be well aware of Oklahoma's game script here. Don't allow them to establish the run. Spy Mateer if you have to, but make the Sooners throw the ball, where Bama ranks 10th in the nation in passing yards allowed, with a mark of just 164.1 per game.

2. Offensive line must come up big against the pass rush

Much as they have all season, Alabama's offensive line must come up huge in protecting Ty Simpson at all costs. Oklahoma boasts one of the best pass rushes in College Football, and it will be no easy task to stop the Sooners from breaking through. PFF breaks down the matchup perfectly, mentioning Oklahoma being third in pressure rate and seventh in pass-rush grade. That said, Alabama is pretty good at protecting its quarterback.

It will be imperative to give Ty Simpson enough time to throw. Oklahoma's insane run defense is a problem for Bama, which has yet to find its identity running the football in 2025. This is going to come down to the offensive line and Simpson connecting with his targets. This, in my opinion, is the game that Simpson can lock up the Heisman with a strong showing against the Sooners' defense. He's a favorite for a reason, and I will not be shocked if he puts the team on his back on Saturday.

3. 3rd quarter struggles cannot continue

We're all well aware of how slow the Tide has come out of the gate after halftime. That cannot continue against the Sooners this weekend. Let's take a glance back at the struggles we've seen this season:

Especially if the game is close at halftime, the Tide must be ready with a game plan to break this trend. A slow 3rd quarter against a team like Oklahoma could spell disaster, and any errors in this contest may tip the scales in favor of the other team. While they have dominated in different quarters, Bama has a -3 point differential against opposing teams in the third quarter of the season.

Establishing the run in the third quarter has proved disastrous for the Tide so far. Given that Oklahoma ranks 4th in the nation against the run, look for emerging superstar quarterback Ty Simpson to lean on his arm and execute passes with precision. He will need to step up here, as he has done all season. We're looking forward to Kalen DeBoer's game plan. Stifling defense on both sides will keep this a low-scoring affair. I have this one pegged with an Alabama win, and the final score 23-20.