Alabama has lost two-straight to Oklahoma entering Friday night. Here are three reasons why the Crimson Tide will win, as well as why they might not.
If the Alabama Crimson Tide want to advance to the CFP quarterfinals, they will have to beat a team which defeated them earlier this season in the Oklahoma Sooners.
The No. 8 overall seed in the CFP, Oklahoma came to Tuscaloosa earlier this season faced with a must-win contest, and eventually left with a 23-21 upset victory over Alabama inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This was the second victory for Oklahoma over Alabama in as many seasons, joining a 24-3 win in Norman just last season.
Taking a look back at those two games as well, there were certainly some struggles by Alabama in key areas against the Sooners, a big reason as to why the Crimson Tide suffered an upset loss in both. Will some of those same things occur Friday night, or will Alabama come away with a massive road win?
Following are three reasons why Alabama will defeat Oklahoma in the CFP first round, as well as three the Crimson Tide might not.
Why: Alabama shut down Oklahoma's offense in November
If there was a main positive takeaway from Alabama's regular season loss to the Sooners, it was the performance of the Crimson Tide's defense. Alabama limited Oklahoma's offense to only 212 total yards, as well as 3-of-13 on third downs, in the contest, and another strong showing defensively Friday night against one of the SEC's lowest-scoring offenses would go a long way toward a potential victory.
Why Not: Alabama has lost two-straight to Oklahoma
When taking a look back at the last two seasons, it has simply been all Oklahoma in the most recent games between these teams. Combined with that 23-21 home loss earlier this season, Alabama also fell to the Sooners a year ago in Norman, 24-3, a result which cost the Crimson Tide a trip to the CFP, and was an overall rough showing in the most recent trip to Memorial Stadium.
Why: A healthy Alabama offense is dangerous
This will essentially be the first time we have seen a healthy Alabama offense since that home loss to Oklahoma, a game which the Crimson Tide did lead in the fourth quarter. While the Crimson Tide have struggled offensively in recent weeks, the return of Josh Cuevas and Jam Miller could prove to be impactful for Alabama's offense, and as we have seen at times this season, especially early in the year, a fully healthy group can be very dangerous.
Why Not: Alabama has struggled with turnovers vs. Oklahoma
A big theme for Alabama coming out of the loss in Tuscaloosa earlier this season was the turnovers, as the Crimson Tide turned the ball over three times, leading to 17 points for Oklahoma. Over the last two games against Oklahoma, Alabama has committed a combined six turnovers, with four being interceptions, two of which also went for a pick six.
Why: Alabama has the revenge factor
As for the third, and final, reason why Alabama could win, the Crimson Tide will certainly be playing motivated, not only for the pure reason that this is a CFP game, but also via the revenge factor. The Crimson Tide will be looking to avenge their home loss from earlier this season, as well as that defeat in Norman a year ago, and as a result, we will likely see a locked in Alabama team Friday night.
Why Not: Oklahoma has edge on special teams
The third, and final, reason as to why Alabama might not win is the fact that if this game comes down to the special teams battle, Oklahoma has the clear edge. Led by Lou Groza Award winning kicker Tate Sandell, Oklahoma is one of the SEC's top teams on special teams, while Alabama has been up-and-down at times this season on special teams.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Why Alabama football will defeat Oklahoma in CFP first round
Category: General Sports
