Last night's comeback wasn't just about the offensive burst and pick-six. All three phases of football were clicking at the same time. After Alabama's special teams struggled in the first matchup between these two teams, they were the hidden catalyst that brought the Tide a victory in the first round of the CFP. Down 17-0, the Tide flipped the field and the script.
In the earlier matchup against Oklahoma, Alabama's special teams proved to be a liability. Missed tackles on punt coverage, a fumbled return, and even a blocked kick that swung momentum. Last night? The storyline was completely different. Alabama was facing a 17-0 hole and desperately needed a momentum swing. They got it early in the second quarter.
On what looked like a routine punt by Oklahoma, the Sooners' punter mishandled the snap, and Tim Keenan III got through to block the punt. This gave the Tide excellent field position deep in Sooners territory. That set up a field goal that cut the lead to 17-10 and lit the spark for the comeback. The block did more than change the scoreboard; it changed the energy.
It wasn't just the blocked punt. Throughout the comeback, special teams helped tilt the field position in Alabama's favor. In the 17-0 hole that the Crimson Tide dug themselves in, the Tide were getting dominated in the field position battle.
After the blocked punt, the defense was able to stall out the Sooners' drives, and the offense put up points, which forced Oklahoma to drive the length of the field. In a game where every yard mattered, and Alabama needed a series of small edges, avoiding the long fields and sticky situations that had plagued them early in the game and in their first matchup was huge.
Alabama had a surprising special teams edge vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma, a team with a very good special teams going into this matchup, didn't just fail to deliver positive plays but contributed to their own undoing. The Sooners' kickers missed two critical field goals late, from 36 and 51 yards, that would have kept the comeback at arm's length. Those misses didn't come from Alabama's unit directly, but the result was the same.
The Lou Groza Award winner for Oklahoma looked anything but that on Friday night, and to win football games, you need your opponents to make more mistakes than you. Missing those kicks sealed the win for Alabama and had fans heading for the exits.
There wasn't a punt return touchdown or a game-winning field goal. It was about winning the quiet battles. Good punts, solid coverage, Talty being perfect on the night, and a blocked punt that ignited the comeback. Special teams is often forgotten when fans check the box score, but it shouldn't be for this game.
The unsung football that doesn't fill the highlight reels changed the game for the Tide. Alabama's special teams unit, which has been nothing to really write home about all season, provided the edge they needed to get past Oklahoma and into the next round of the college football playoffs.