Three Ways Oklahoma's Defense Can Improve From First Matchup vs. Alabama

The Sooners played exceptional defense when it mattered most against Alabama in the regular season, but they can be even better in the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma linebacker Sammy Omosigho | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defense came through in a massive way against Alabama on Nov. 15.

The Sooners allowed the Crimson Tide to score only seven points in the second half of OU’s 23-21 win. Oklahoma also turned Alabama over three times, and that went a long way in a game in which the Sooners scored only one offensive touchdown.

Still, there are plenty of ways in which the Sooners could have played better defensively.

Here are three ways OU’s defense can be better when the Sooners battle the Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Nov. 19:

Get off the field

Even though the Sooners escaped Tuscaloosa with a two-point win, someone who only viewed the box score would believe that the Crimson Tide won handily.

Alabama outgained OU 406-212. The Crimson Tide logged 23 first downs, while Oklahoma’s offense moved the chains only 12 times, and Alabama possessed the ball for 34:28 of the game’s 60 minutes.

Aside from the interception that Eli Bowen returned for a touchdown, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson played well when he had time. The signal caller finished the contest with 326 yards, a touchdown and the pick six on 28-of-42 passing.

The Crimson Tide had six drives go for more than 40 yards. They only scored on three of those, thanks to Bowen’s pick six, a blocked field goal and a turnover on downs.

OU’s defense never appeared to get fatigued, holding the Crimson Tide scoreless in the fourth quarter. But it’s hard for even the best defenses to bank on defensive touchdowns or blocked kicks to swing the momentum.

Holding Alabama to shorter drives needs to be a priority.

Limiting Alabama’s tight ends

The Crimson Tide’s tight ends were a matchup nightmare for OU in the teams’ first meeting of 2025.

Alabama’s Josh Cuevas had a game-high six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Backup tight end Kaleb Edwards even chipped in, catching one pass for 25 yards.

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The Sooners have consistently done an excellent job keeping quality tight ends in check, as they held Missouri’s Brett Norfleet, Texas’ Jack Endries, Tennessee’s Miles Kitselman and Ole Miss’ Dae’Quan Wright to fairly quiet games.

But Cuevas — a 6-3, 256-pound senior — regularly found space against OU’s defense.

Cuevas, though, hasn’t played since the OU game in mid-November, as he suffered an injury during practice later in the month. If the veteran tight end is able to go, the Sooners will have to play much tighter coverage against him.

Avoid costly penalties

This is knit-picking, to a point.

Oklahoma committed only one defensive penalty in its first game against the Crimson Tide — but it was a costly one.

Linebacker Kendal Daniels was called for defensive pass interference on a pass that safety Robert Spears-Jennings intercepted. Spears-Jennings’ pick was negated as a result of Daniels’ infraction, and the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown two plays later.

It’s possible — perhaps likely — that the Sooners would have won more comfortably if Spears-Jennings’ interception stood. Oklahoma led 10-0 at that point, and the Sooners would have regained possession with the turnover.

The impact of undisciplined football can be major in a high-stakes game against a strong team like Alabama.