Unlocking the Untold Secrets: What’s Really Behind the Headlines You Didn’t See Coming

So here we are — Week 12, and Oklahoma’s standing at a crossroads in their College Football Playoff chase, with a massive road test awaiting in Tuscaloosa. Alabama might be the favorite — chalk it up to their ironclad resume and eight straight wins — but isn’t every giant hiding a chink or two in its armor? The Sooners, currently outside looking in at No. 11, have a narrow window to slam the door on doubts and exploit Alabama’s rare vulnerabilities. Could a strategic embrace of the kicking game plus a defensive blueprint keyed to force the Crimson Tide on the ground pave the way for an upset? I’m telling you, this isn’t just another football game — it’s a chess match with playoff ramifications, and Oklahoma’s got to make every move count. Ready to dig into the fatal flaw Alabama can’t afford to ignore? LEARN MORE.

Oklahoma football must continue to win to remain in the race for a spot in the College Football Playoff. This week presents a major test as Oklahoma visits Alabama. Alabama is a favorite in this game, but there are some flaws that Oklahoma can exploit to win this game.

The Crimson Tide has been on a roll this year. Alabama is now 8-1 on the season. After opening the season with a loss to Florida State, the team has won eight straight games. This includes four straight games over ranked teams. They took care of Georgia on the road by three, then defeated Vanderbilt, Missouri on the road, and Tennessee. Since then, it was a tight win over South Carolina on the road and a 20-9 victory over LSU.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma is 7-2 on the year and is currently ranked 11th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Still, with two conference champions behind them in the rankings, Oklahoma is on the outside looking in. Oklahoma is also coming into the game off an open week. In their last game, the Sooners defeated Tennessee 33-27.

Odds at the time of writing, according to FanDuel, have Oklahoma as a 5.5-point underdog, but there is a path to victory for the Sooners if they can exploit two aspects of the Alabama game.

Make this a kicking game

Alabama Crimson Tide kicker Conor Talty (31) kicks the ball during the second quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium — David Leong-Imagn Images

The Alabama offense has been solid this year. They are 23rd in the nation in points per game, while also sitting 46th in yards per game. Further, they are 16th in the nation in red zone scoring percentage this year. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma offense has also been good, but not as good. They are 59th in FBS in points per game while sitting 82nd in yards per game. Still, they are the best in the nation in red zone scoring, converting on 100 percent of their red zone chances this year.

A major reason for the red zone success and overall success of the offense has been the kicking game. Oklahoma is 18th in the nation in field goal conversion percentage. Tate Sandell has been great this year, converting on 18 of 19 field goal attempts. Further, he is six for six outside of 50 yards, with a long of 55. He is also seven for eight from 40 to 49 yards.

Meanwhile, Alabama has had some kicking woes. They are 106th in the nation in field goal conversion percentage. Conor Talty has struggled this year. He is just 11 of 16 kicking, and has a long of just 46 yards. He missed his only attempt beyond 50 and is five for eight from 40-49 yards.

To make this a kicking game, Oklahoma needs to be strong on third downs. They have done that all year, sitting 13th nationally in opponent third-down conversions. Still, Alabama is 11th in converting third downs this year. Brent Venables needs a solid game plan to make sure the third-down conversions are not manageable, and that is where he needs to exploit the biggest weakness in the Alabama game.

Force Alabama to run the ball

Alabama has been one of the best passing attacks in the nation. They are 12th in passing yards per game and also 28th in the percentage of plays that are passes. Meanwhile, the Sooners have been solid against the pass, sitting 34th in the nation against the pass this year. They are also second in the nation at getting to the quarterback.

Still, the best aspect of the Oklahoma defense is against the run, where they allow just 2.1 yards per attempt, best in the country. The worst part of the Alabama offense has been the run. The Tide is 114th in rushing yards per game this season.

Jam Miller still has not gotten going after starting the season injured. He has run for just 321 yards, averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt. He also scored twice. Meanwhile, Kevin Riley has run for 186 yards without a score, and Daniel Hill has 104 yards with two touchdowns. If Oklahoma is going to pull the upset, they need to shut down the pass and make Alabama run the ball.

A major part of this plan will be Taylor Wein. He has 11 tackles for a loss, the most on the team, while also having 3.5 sacks and three quarterback hits. He needs to be in the backfield, but also continue to play solid pass defense from his linebacker position. Moreover, R Mason Thomas needs to continue to get to the backfield. He has three quarterback pressures to go with his 6.5 sacks. If Ty Simpson does not have time to throw, especially on early downs, Alabama will be forced to run the ball.

If Alabama is forced to run the ball, they have struggled, and it will create third-and-long situations. There, Oklahoma can defend the pass and force kicks, either punts or field goals. A kicking game will favor the Sooners and allow them to pull the upset. Still, it all starts with forcing the Crimson Tide to keep the ball on the ground and exploiting the fatal flaw of Alabama.

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