OKLAHOMA CITY — Alabama faces a tougher roadblock than it might appear in its quest to maintain positioning for the College Football Playoff.
Sure, the Oklahoma Sooners have struggled in their first Southeastern Conference season since moving over from the Big 12. The Sooners (5-5, 1-5 SEC) have lost four straight conference games, have fired their offensive coordinator and have the worst unit in the league on that side of the ball.
But they have a tough defense, too. Linebacker Danny Stutsman, a midseason AP All-American, anchors a nasty unit that has kept the Sooners competitive in league losses at Ole Miss and Missouri. He ranks second in the SEC with 96 tackles. Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. has scored four defensive touchdowns since the start of the 2023 season, tied for the most nationally. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has seven sacks, with six coming in the fourth quarter of close games.
Alabama first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer is paying attention.
“It’s going to take a great week of preparation,” DeBoer said. “A physical football team all around. Their defense is, I think, an extremely tough defense in all ways — just what they do with their scheme and then with their personnel, the way they fly around.”