Grading Alabama football in shocking loss to Oklahoma

On By Littum

Alabama football looked like it didn’t study well enough for this test.

The report card reflects the lack of good preparation and adaptations to the challenges of the match against Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide put together its worst performance of the season when it lost 24-3 to the Sooners on Saturday at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

The game marked the first time for Alabama since 2011 that it did not score at least one touchdown. The loss was also the Crimson Tide’s third of the season; Alabama hasn’t lost three games in a season since 2010.

Then no. 7 Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-3 SEC) turns its attention to the Iron Bowl, that’s how we graded Alabama in a game it will soon forget.

Misdemeanor: F

Three points is absolutely unacceptable. Jalen Milroe couldn’t get anything going with his legs, and Alabama seemed insistent on continuing to try even when it didn’t work. He ended up leading Alabama with 15 carries for seven yards. Alabama also turned the ball over three times in the form of interceptions. The Crimson Tide trailed by just one touchdown at halftime, but the offense unraveled on the first two possessions of the second half via two interceptions. The game got away from Alabama as a result. The passing game was all out of sync. The running game could not sustain consistent gains. All in all, a forgettable day from an offense that was a complete failure.

Defence: D

Alabama’s run defense looked like it couldn’t stop Oklahoma’s rushing attack. The Sooners ran with ease right away, tallying over 200 yards on the ground in the first half. Oklahoma didn’t hurt Alabama much in the passing game, but the Sooners didn’t need to. The running game worked so well. The Alabama defense allowed just seven points in the second half, and it was on a short field after an interception. Oklahoma totaled just 83 yards in the second half after 242 in the first half. That gave the offense something of a chance for it to spill. The improvement in the second half is the only thing that saved this grade from also being an F.

Special team: B

Graham Nicholson made his only field goal attempt. James Burnip averaged 42.8 yards per carry. punt, but one traveled only 23 yards. Ryan Williams returned three punts for eight yards. One that he fielded, he shouldn’t have touched, as it resulted in Alabama having the ball just outside the goal line. Special teams also forced a missed field goal by Oklahoma in the first quarter. There were no major issues, but also nothing of note that might have helped a slumping offense and porous run defense.

Overall: F

That trip to Norman, Oklahoma was nothing short of a failure. So Alabama gets an F for the overall team. Alabama was on track to reach the SEC Championship Game and likely secure a College Football Playoff berth. It all lined up well for the Crimson Tide. Then it failed to take care of business against Oklahoma, ending conference championship hopes and putting CFP’s hopes on life support.

Nick Kelly is a beat writer from Alabama AL.com and Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.