Alabama's Defense Dug In On Third Down: Things I Noticed in the Crimson Tide's CFP Win Over Oklahoma

No. 9 Alabama went into Norman and took down No. 8 Oklahoma 34-24 to advance to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs, but it wasn't a straightforward 10-point victory at the Palace on the Prairie.

The Crimson Tide fell into a 17-point hole early in the second quarter as the Sooners mixed up offensive tendencies and put defensive pressure on Alabama to jump out to an early lead.

"They had a really good plan early on coming into this game," Kane Wommack said. "They changed tendency at pretty much every 1st, 2nd, 3rd down, and our players did a really good job of just adjusting."

The Sooners utilized quarterback run, the screen games and just old-fashioned execution in the passing game to stay on the field early, converting five of their first seven third down attempts and utilizing 15:01 of the games first 18 minutes to jump into an early lead.

"Well, I think we talked about it before the game, there was going to be wrinkles, there were going to be things that they did," Wommack said. "I thought they had a great plan early on. I thought the quarterback played out of his mind in the first half. He was dialed in, did a really good job.

"We didn't affect him early enough from a pass rush standpoint, and then we started affecting him, and then it drastically changed the outcome of the game. Just finding ways to just settle in, let's see what their pictures are, let's see what their game plan is, what they're going to do, and then being ready to adjust whichever way we needed to."

What Led to Alabama's Improved Pass Rush against Oklahoma

The Crimson Tide dug into the game and began to get stops and turn the field position as the Alabama defense only allowed the Sooners to convert two of its final 11 third down attempts. Wommack mixed between man and zone throughout the game, but particularly mixed things up on third downs, showing Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer a multitude of looks to keep him confused.

"We haven't played a lot of man coverage this year, but that was what we needed to do to win the game," Wommack said. "Our DBs were begging for it. By the time we got to the second half, they wanted it. That's what you want. You want kids that are fighters, that want the ball in their court. They want to be challenged. They want to go challenge people. Our players won this game. They won the game with sheer will."

Breaking Down Oklahoma Third Down Attempts

1 Q, 13:47 - Third-and-6:

Alabama's first chance to get the Sooners off the field comes in a favorable, third-and-medium, situation. Kane Wommack calls a Cover 3 with an interior tackle-tackle twist. Oklahoma motions Isaiah Satenga across the formation, changing the presnap look from a two-by-two into trips on the boundary. Satenga runs a wheel route, and is likely who John Mateer wants to throw to, but Zabien Brown gets nice width and Bray Hubbard gets nice depth taking the option away. Instead Mateer goes to the only option he has finding Deion Burks on an out route underneath the wheel.

The Crimson Tide defense don't make things complicated on Mateer schematically, nor get pressure, but plays tight zone coverage and Mateer finds the only option he has for the first down in a small window. Better offense beats good defense.

1 Q, 12:02 - Third-and-2:

Oklahoma manages to generate a third-and-short on the second attempt of the game and shifts from an overloaded line, pistol set into a three-by-one double-up-back look, all but indicating the QB run that is coming.

The Sooners show a curl-flat route combination on both sides of the formation, looking like an RPO-and effectively taking the defensive backs to the field side out of the equation.

Alabama looks like its in another Cover 3 look with the same tackle-tackle twist but all eyes are in the backfield. Domani Jackson and Deontae Lawson don't go with the receivers, but instead play the run right off the snap. The Sooners have six men to block the six Crimson Tide defenders in the box and do a good job at the point of attack, doubling Tim Keenan up to Justin Jefferson. The Crimson Tide rely on Keon Sabb to fill the run lane and Jackson works his way there, but by the time the defensive backs meet Mateer the Sooners are moving the chains.

1 Q, 10:42 - Third-and-10:

The Crimson Tide forces a third-and-long and comes up with their first stop of the game, forcing an incomplete pass as John Mateer's check down target falls down in the backfield.

Oklahoma comes to the line in quads, with the running back to the trips side. The Crimson Tide shows double-mug before the snap, but transitions to single-mug during the pre-snap movement with Deontae Lawson dropping out. Justin Jefferson drops out upon the snap and Alabama ultimately rushes four and plays Cover 8 behind it.

Mateer gets solid protection, but is quick to move to the check down. Had he stayed with the progression, he may have seen Jaren Kanak running up the seam as Keon Sabb starts to bite on Isaiah Satenga's crossing route. Tory Blaylock falls out of the backfield and Mateer's pass falls incomplete and the Crimson Tide gets off the field for the first time.

1 Q, 6:20 - Third-and-10:

The Crimson Tide have another third-and-long chance to get off the field and force a field goal, but fail to react and tackle well and give up a big conversion.

Oklahoma is in a two-by-two set, while Alabama shows a single-mug. Nikhai Hill-Green drops out at at the snap and the Crimson Tide look to play a bit of Tampa 2 with Keon Sabb serving as the hole defender.

The Sooners call a middle screen out of the backfield for Xavier Robinson and Deontae Lawson doesn't really see it well. Lawson appears to be covering Isaiah Satenga, and drifts out of the play. Kaden Helms chips Keon Keeley before moving up to get a piece of Hill-Green, leaving just Sabb and Domani Jackson to make the tackle before the line to gain.

Neither Sabb, nor Jackson play with great leverage on the play and Robinson outruns the former and jukes the later on his way to a big gain, moving Oklahoma to the goal line. Better technique from either defender likely makes the play and forces a field goal, showing how the smallest errors can be costly.

1 Q, 1:37 - Third-and-18:

Alabama has an excellent chance to not only get off the field, but to take advantage of a penalty and prevent Oklahoma from kicking a long field goal. However, more poor leverage on a ball carrier allows the Sooners to gain enough yards for Tate Sandell to drain a 51-yard field goal.

The Sooners come out in two-by-two look and the Crimson Tide counter showing a double-mug, Cover 0 look before the snap. Alabama drops Justin Jefferson and Qua Russaw out at the snap, sending five men, but it's a wide receiver screen all the way to Isaiah Satenga.

Red Morgan does an outstanding job of blowing up the blocker at the point of attack, but maybe does it too much as he shields Zabien Brown from making the tackle. Jefferson pursues hard, but is out of control, overrunning the ball carrier and opening a lane for Satenga to cut inside to. Satenga then cuts underneath Tim Keenan but is ultimately tackled by Jefferson and Russaw before he makes the sticks. He still gains 10 yards and sets up Sandell for a long field goal, but better leverage and pursuit could've kept points off the board.

2 Q, 14:05 - Third-and-8:

The Crimson Tide has another chance to get Oklahoma off the field in a third-and-long situation, but the Sooners execute at a high level and keep the drive rolling.

Alabama shows a Cover 0, double-mug look as the Sooners come out in trips with a stack to the field look. The Crimson Tide drop out of it into a Tampa 2 with a spy, only rushing three at John Mateer. Mateer rolls to his right and Deion Burks does a nice job cutting his route off and sitting in the space behind flat defender Zabien Brown and in front of Bray Hubbard. Brown steps up to prevent Mateer from scrambling and the gun-slinger fits the pass into Burks on the sideline who makes a diving grab.

The Crimson Tide played the coverage well and had everyone in the right position, but Mateer and Burks just combined to make a better play.

2 Q, 11:39 - Third-and-5:

Oklahoma's now worked the ball just outside Alabama's redzone, making this third-and-medium crucial for the Crimson Tide to get off the field. The Sooners come out in a three-by-one double-up-back look and Alabama responds with a bit of match coverage that turns into Cover Two Man.

Zabien Brown and Deontae Lawson do a great job trading men at the snap to take away the drag underneath, Justin Jefferson follows his drag route the opposite ways and the two backers play the mesh flawlessly.

Unfortunately for Alabama, DaShawn Jones slips as he's following Jacob Jordan running a dig from number two and thats enough for John Mateer to find his man and move the chains. Everyone was in strong position, but just one player falling and losing his man is enough to extend a drive against high quality football teams.

2 Q, 4:42 - Third-and-3:

This play single-handedly changed the entire football game as the Crimson Tide got off the field and started to seize momentum.

John Mateer and Oklahoma have two tight ends to the boundary with two receivers to the field and Xavier Robinson in the backfield offset to the boundary. The Crimson Tide send a zone blitz with Keon Sabb, while playing Cover 2 behind it.

Mateer has Kaden Helms right away running a bit of an over route, but his eyes are on Isaiah Satenga running a drag from left to right. Perhaps there's too much traffic in the middle for Mateer to layer a pas to Helms, but he hitches in the pocket and then feels the blitzing Sabb, who gets two hands to him but can't bring him down.

Mateer escapes and rolls left, meanwhile Yhonzae Pierre has passed off Robinson to Zabien Brown, poorly. Robinson running a wheel route out of the backfield converts to a post to mirror Mateer and busts Alabama's coverage. The running back short arms the pass and drops Mateer's bomb shot, turning what might've been a sack, into an almost touchdown, harmlessly into an incomplete pass and an Oklahoma punt.

The momentum swings on this play defined the entire ballgame, but allowed the Crimson Tide to find its footing and dig back into the game as they blocked a botched punt on the very next play.

2 Q, :30 - Third-and-5:

Alabama's defense is rolling now after capturing momentum with a pick-six on the prior drive on second down and Oklahoma is looking to burn the rest of the clock without giving the Crimson Tide to take a lead.

The Crimson Tide calls a blitz, rushing six with five men in man coverage behind, clearly trying for a stop to keep stacking momentum. Oklahoma calls an inside zone with John Mateer, but he only gains two yards as Yhonzae Pierre fights off a block and Noah Carter crashes hard.

Unfortunately, the drive is extended due to a sideline interference penalty on Alabama way down the Crimson Tide bench.

2 Q, :14 - Third-and-10:

Alabama calls a Cover 4 look with such short time on the clock as the drive was extended by penalty. The Crimson Tide matches well on the back end and rushes four, leaving John Mateer no option, but to check it down to the back. Deontae Lawson and Dijon Lee rally and tackle Tory Blaylock to get the defense's third straight third-down-stop and end the half.

The Oklahoma Sooners started 5-of-7 on 3rd down as they built a 17-0 lead in the College Football Playoffs.

They finished 0-3 in the first half, ending 5-10 in the first frame, allowing Alabama to dig back into the game. pic.twitter.com/sqgX732Sey
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) December 23, 2025

3 Q, 12:34 - Third-and-6:

The Crimson Tide looked to build off its success in the later part of the first half by opening with a three-and-out from a third-and-medium. Oklahoma came out in a three-by-two empty look and Alabama answered with a Tampa 2 defense with Keon Sabb playing in the hole over the middle.

Credit Alabama's pass rush for making John Mateer uncomfortable as Qua Russaw, James Smith and London Simmons collapsed the pocket and made Mateer move quickly through his progressions. Could he have squeezed the pass behind Zabien Brown to Keontez Lewis? Perhaps. But Brown's end of half pick-six likely scared him from that option. Instead, he opted for Isaiah Satenga on a shallow in-cut and had him open, but passed it behind Satenga and ended with an incompletion as he jumped into the air on the pass attempt.

3 Q, 10:14 - Third-and-22:

Two consecutive Alabama sacks put the Crimson Tide in great position to get off the field again on third down.

The Crimson Tide rushed just three and dropped eight into a big Cover 3 shell and rallied much better to the middle screen attempt than they had in the first half. The Sooners tried the exact same middle screen to a running back, this time Tory Blaylock, as they did in the first half, but the yardage was too much to overcome and Alabama leveraged the football much better between Deontae Lawson and Bray Hubbard.

3 Q, 3:13 - Third-and-1:

The Oklahoma Sooners, now in a 10-point hole, went back to their bread and butter on third-and-short to try to stay on the field, QB-run.

John Mateer ran a QB-power, with seven Sooner blockers counting for seven Alabama defenders as their running back ran Nikhai Hill-Green out of the box before the snap.

Tim Keenan fought through a double-team and was largely unmoved. Justin Hill squeezed and held the edge and Yhonzae Pierre and Jordan Renaud fought through blockers to help Keenan make the play. Oklahoma converted on third down by the skin of their teeth, but the Crimson Tide played the attempt extremely well.

3 Q, 1:19 - Third-and-2:

The Sooners worked themselves into another third-and-short situation and once again converted by just a little bit as Tory Blaylock slipped through a Zabien Brown tackle.

Alabama called a similar Cover 2 zone blitz they'd used throughout the game and Oklahoma countered it by rolling Mateer away from the pocket, and unfortunately for the Sooners, right into the blitz. Bray Hubbard and Yhonzae Pierre chased and pressured Mateer who had to check it down almost immediately to Blaylock. Brown was in good position in the flat to make a play on Blaylock, but slipped off him and the Sooners stayed on the field.

4 Q, 9:33 - Third-and-9:

Alabama punted Oklahoma deep and the Sooners false started to find themselves in third-and-long.

Kane Wommack responded with one of the more unique looks of the night, rushing five and playing man coverage with two hole players in short zones.

John Mateer was feeling the pressure and, respecting the poor field position, was trying to get the football out quickly to Troy Blaylock underneath but his pass hit Deontae Lawson in the facemask and fell harmlessly incomplete.

4 Q, 6:36 - Third-and-8:

Alabama continues to mix things up with thier coverage plans, this time playing Cover 1 with Keon Sabb playing over the top and Deontae Lawson playing in the hook zone underneath on third-and-long.

It really doesn't matter what the coverage was as Qua Russaw and Kelby Collins run an outstanding tackle-end stunt on the left side of the line. Russaw takes all the guard's attention who never sees Collins wrapping underneath and the Florida transfer gets a free rush at John Mateer and brings him down for a sack, moving him off his spot as soon as he got to the top of his drop.

4 Q, 4:35 - Third-and-5:

Kane Wommack presents another unique look here as the Crimson Tide defense is finishing the game strong. It looks like rush four Cover 1, but I don't think it is. Ultimately, John Mateer checks down to Tory Blaylock who can't bring in the reception. forcing Oklahoma to go for it on fourth down.

Alabama's pressure throughout the night, combined with strong coverage, has Mateer speeding up in his processing and therefore the quarterback quickly moves to his checkdown option.

4 Q, 3:02 - Third-and-9:

Alabama confuses Oklahoma's offensive line, showing seven, but bringing five. This gets Nikhai Hill-Green in freely on John Mateer who throws the ball into the stands for an incomplete pass. This looks eerily similar to the pressure package the Sooners used on Alabama so well in Tuscaloosa and virtually becomes a game-ender as Oklahoma missed the subsequent field goal.

The Crimson Tide ran man on the backside of the pressure, with two underneath zone defenders to prevent anything quick.

After starting 5-of-7 on 3rd down and building a 17-0 lead, the Oklahoma Sooners went just 2-of-11 the rest of the game (2-of-8 in 2nd half).

The Crimson Tide defense put the clamps to the Sooners after giving up early success pic.twitter.com/u55ftvGGBQ
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) December 23, 2025