Alabama travels to Norman on Friday night for a rematch against Oklahoma in the CFP first round. Here are three keys to a Crimson Tide win.
On Friday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be facing one of the three teams to defeat them this season in the Oklahoma Sooners.
A rematch from a game that took place Nov. 15, the Sooners came to Tuscaloosa in that contest, and eventually, upset Alabama in a result which kept Oklahoma's CFP hopes alive with a 23-21 victory. During that game, the Crimson Tide were also plagued by three costly turnovers, a massive reason as to why Oklahoma won.
When taking a deeper look at the rematch as well, both the Crimson Tide and Sooners come into Friday's matchup rested, and are looking to book a trip to the CFP quarterfinals against No. 1 seeded Indiana. What must Alabama do to reverse some of the trends from that matchup earlier this season in order to defeat the Sooners?
Following are three keys for Alabama to win Friday night's CFP first round contest against Oklahoma in Norman.
1. Take care of the football
The biggest key to win for Alabama on Friday night in Norman is to simply take care of the football. Dating back to last season, Alabama has committed a combined six turnovers in the two games against Oklahoma, four of which were interceptions, with two also being returned for a pick six, and for the Crimson Tide to win Friday night, they have to win the turnover battle.
2. Establish the run early
Across the last two seasons against Oklahoma, Alabama has rushed for a combined 150 yards on an average of 2.4 yards per carry. It will be key for Alabama, a team which has struggled to run the ball this season, to establish the ground game early, as the Crimson Tide will certainly need big games from the likes of Jam Miller and Daniel Hill to help set up downfield passing opportunities for Ty Simpson and the passing game.
3. Win the special teams/field position battle
While it will likely not be an easy task due to the weather forecast Friday night in Norman, it will absolutely be key for Alabama to win the special teams and field position battle. Oklahoma's special teams was a difference maker in the regular season contest, and the special teams/field position battle is likely to be a significant factor in Friday's game as well.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football keys to win vs. Oklahoma Sooners in CFP first round
Category: General Sports
