The Area Where Alabama Offense Has to Be 'Elite' Against Oklahoma Defense

The Sooners leads the SEC in total defense, scoring defense and tackles for loss.

Alabama's offensive line against LSU | UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Oklahoma's defense is top-10 in the country in nearly every major statistical category. The Sooners lead the nation in tackles for loss (97) and are fourth in sacks (33.)

Every week, Alabama's coaches and players say that the opponent is one of the best they've played yet. This week, it's actually true for the Alabama offense.

"This is, by far, the most well-coached, disruptive defense that we’ve seen, just how physical they are up front, how fast they are, how confusing they are in the back end," Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said after Tuesday's practice.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is one of the best defensive coaches in college football. He is now in his fourth season as the Sooners' head coach but prior to that he spent 10 seasons as defensive coordinator at Clemson, winning two national titles. Before that, he served as Oklahoma defensive coordinator from 1999-2011, winning a national title in 2000.

The 2025 defense is by far his best yet as a head coach. Oklahoma is only allowing 14.1 points per game through the first nine games. Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said his unit will have to have "elite" communication this week preparing to face the Sooners.

"We've got to have a great week of communicating at the line of scrimmage," Grubb said. "That's the thing I really challenged the guys with. They'll go after this and they're gonna be excited about the process with Parker [Brailsford,] everybody just listening to Parker, and what he says is what we're doing, and stick together with one count. Because if you're gonna be wrong, be wrong together. As simple as it sounds, if you're wrong together, the problem's gonna be outside, not inside, if we're all moving in the same direction. We can't have half the line doing one thing and the other half of the line doing another. If we stick to that, we'll always have a chance. Whether we're protecting Ty or running the football. We've got to do a great job of that this week, and certainly Oklahoma will challenge us on that.”

Grubb said problems come in both pass protection and the run game when the communication falls apart and gaps get created on the interior offensive line. Alabama has struggled to run the ball for most of the season and has yet to face a defensive front as good as Oklahoma's.

"They do a lot of movement," Brailsford said. "Obviously, they’re a good defense in general, but they have a pretty good front, so just being able to talk to the guys about what techniques we’re going to use and how we’re going to be able to fit things and things like that is very important. I’m the center, so it all kind of falls on me just getting guys in the right places."

No. 4 Alabama (8-1, 6-0 SEC) will host No. 12 Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.