Will style points matter for Alabama football against Oklahoma?

No. 7 Alabama will see its first of the SEC newcomers this Saturday when Crimson Tide heads on the road to play Oklahoma in Norman. 

Oklahoma has struggled in their first year in the conference, stumbling to a 5-5, 1-5 SEC record. Granted the Sooners have had a tough draw in their first year in the league. Playing Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Missouri with Alabama and LSU still to go. 

Despite being a clear favorite, the matchup with Oklahoma could be a kind of trap game, and not in the they may lose way. But in an extremely tight race for both the SEC and the College Football Playoffs, style points matter way. 

Oklahoma has struggled this year, but they are still a team with a good talent on the sidelines. They have been subpar in SEC play, but no one has blown them out. Even in the 34-3 loss to Texas, the Sooners defense played well while their offense was dead in the water.

A blowout Alabama win with all of that in consideration could help make the case that the Crimson Tide has set the struggles that plagued them from Vanderbilt through Tennessee aside and help make the case that Alabama is the clear-cut best team in the SEC.

Alabama will need to be fast out of the gate, dominating in the trenches and hanging points on the Sooners. The magic number for the points will be 42. Oklahoma has not allowed more than 35 to a conference opponent this season, including the top-scoring offense in the conference Ole Miss. 

If you hit that 42-point mark you’ll have managed more points than the Sooners have allowed to any SEC opponents and you’ll have that in your favor. But it’s not just about dominating the point spread it’s how you do it. Oklahoma has the 4th best run defense in the SEC, giving up an average of 109 yards per game while allowing just eight touchdowns, tied for the second-fewest in the SEC. 

Alabama enters Saturday’s matchup leading the SEC in rushing touchdowns (37), second in yards per carry (5.18), and third in total rushing offense (192.1 yards per game). Running the ball effectively against the Sooners could help establish that this Alabama team is going to go where the running game is going to take it. 

It will also put to bed concerns that popped up in Alabama’s two losses this season. In the games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, Alabama had just 84 and 75 rushing yards. In the struggle win against South Carolina the Tide had just 104 yards. Those were the only games where Alabama was held to less than 170 yards on the ground this season. Thumping Oklahoma and even then Auburn in back-to-back weeks on the ground could significantly improve Alabama’s resume to round out the year. 

Defensively stopping the run will also be key for Alabama. While Oklahoma is near the bottom of the pack in rushing offense their league's worse passing offense means they have to run the ball. Oklahoma is 4th in the SEC in rushing attempts per game and 13 of their 27 touchdowns have come on the ground. league's

Alabama hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown since the Tennessee game but has given up eight this year pushing them out of the top 50 nationally in rushing touchdowns allowed, and has allowed seven opponents to rush for over 100. If the Crimson Tide can pin their ears back and contain the running game Oklahoma is dependent on it not only helps out with the point spread and style points. 

I know it feels silly to talk about style points and the point spread but remember, Alabama isn’t undefeated. Point spread against conference opponents is one of the tiebreakers in the SEC Championship tiebreakers, and to the CFP Comittee, it’s clear style points matter. Oklahoma may be having a down year, but a convincing win over a blue-chip program will still pop in the CFP Committee’s eyes.