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Published Nov 18, 2024
Scouting Report: Alabama
Jesse Crittenden  •  OUInsider
Beat Writer
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@jessecrittenden
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Well, Oklahoma will be back at it this weekend, and, it'll be under the lights in Norman for a primetime game.

The Sooners host No. 10 Alabama on Saturday night on the heels of a heartbreaking 30-23 loss at Missouri. With that loss, the Sooners sit at 5-5 on the year and remain one win away from bowl eligibility with only two games remaining.

Getting that coveted sixth win isn't going to be easy against a 'Bama team that appears to have found his footing.

The early-season conference schedule wasn't kind to Alabama, dropping two games to Vanderbilt and Tennessee while narrowly escaping South Carolina. Since then, they've looked incredibly formidable — they defeated Missouri 34-0 and followed it with a 42-13 win at LSU.

The odds aren't in the Sooners' favor to win. The Sooners are a two-touchdown underdog at home, and they again face more questions at quarterback.

Here's a look at Alabama and what the Sooners can expect:

GAME INFO

Time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

TV: ABC/ESPN+

Radio: 107.7 FM

SERIES HISTORY

All-time series record: OU leads 3-2-1

Last meeting: Alabama won 45-34, Dec. 29, 2018 (Orange Bowl)

ALABAMA STATS

Scoring offense: 39.5 points per game (9th)

Scoring defense: 16.9 points per game (10th)

Total offense: 438.2 yards per game (30th)

Total defense: 324.7 yards per game (32nd)

Rushing offense: 192.1 yards per game (29th)

Rushing defense: 109.0 yards per game (18th)

Passing offense: 246.1 yards per game (48th)

Passing defense: 192.5 yards per game (35th)

KEY PLAYERS

JALEN MILROE, QB

— 223.2 passing yards per game, 67.5% completion, 15 TD, 6 INT, 60.8 rushing yards per game, 5.1 yards per carry, 17 TD

JAMARION MILLER, RB

— 95 attempts, 512 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, 7 TD

RYAN WILLIAMS, WR

— 40 receptions, 767 yards, 19.2 yards per reception, 8 TD

GERMIE BERNARD, WR

— 35 receptions, 543 yards, 15.5 yards per reception, 2 TD

JIHAAD CAMPBELL, LB

— 85 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles

DEONTAE LAWSON, LB

— 74 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble

QUANDARRIUS ROBINSON, DL

— 23 tackles, 7 TFL, 4 sacks

THINGS TO WATCH

— Jalen Milroe's dual-threat ability

Alabama's quarterback has simply been one of the most dangerous offensive weapons this season, and it's a clear reason why he's in Heisman contention for the second consecutive year.

He's been really efficient through the air, ranking in the top 20 nationally in passing efficiency and completion percentage. He's also been explosive with his arm, averaging nearly 14 yards per completion. The Crimson Tide rank 20th in passing plays of 30 yards or more (19).

But his biggest threat is his rushing ability. He ranks 12th among FBS quarterbacks in total rushing yards and yards per carry. The Crimson Tide utilize him regularly as a runner — he leads the team in rushing attempts — but he can also improvise when he's outside the pocket.

The biggest thing for the Sooners will be making him one dimensional, and avoid Milroe gashing them on the ground. Fortunately for the Sooners, they've been pretty stingy against opposing quarterbacks this season. SEC quarterbacks this season have rushed 58 times for 108 yards (0.5 yards per carry) against the Sooners this season. They've held five of the six SEC quarterbacks they've faced below their YPC average. That includes contests against dual-threat quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart, Nico Lamaleava and LaNorris Sellers.

The Sooners are going to need to continue that against Milroe.

— OU's running back rotation

The Sooners are 10 games into the season, and the running back rotation still feels like it has question marks.

Jovantae Barnes has been on a late-season tear as the Sooners' clear No. 1 option, posting back-to-back games of 67 yards and 70 yards, respectively, against South Carolina and Ole Miss before exploding against Maine for 203 yards and three touchdowns. But Barnes missed last weekend's game against Missouri with an ankle injury, and his status for Alabama is unclear.

In his place, the Sooners initially leaned on Taylor Tatum. But the real eye-opening performance came from Xavier Robinson, who totaled 56 yards on over six yards per carry. The performance came after he flashed his explosiveness and physicality late against Maine.

Simply put, Robinson has shown that he deserves time on the field. But there's a few wrinkles to consider — for one, Robinson has now played in four games and if he appears in either of the last two games, he'll burn his redshirt eligibility. Another wrinkle is Barnes' availability, and Gavin Sawchuk has been out for weeks with an injury. If he's healthy, is he still part of the rotation?

Either way, the rotation is going to be important given that the quarterback room again has questions. Jackson Arnold played poorly against the Tigers, finishing with 74 passing yards and two incredibly costly fumbles. That's not ideal considering the Crimson Tide ranks third in turnovers forced (24).