The Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners square off in what will be a pivotal game for both programs. Alabama is on a heater following that Week 1 loss, aiming to cement its standing within the College Football Playoff bracket, if not improve its positioning.

But for Oklahoma, this is a must-win game when analyzing the two losses already on its resume. So to better prepare for the matchup we went behind enemy lines and spoke with Justin Churchill of A to Z Sports Oklahoma.

Among the topics discussed is the alleged sign-stealing that continues to make headlines surrounding this game. That and more in our game preview.

How has OU QB John Mateer improved since his hand injury?

“He has improved, but I wouldn’t say it’s been a dramatic improvement. I look at it this way: that Red River game was really, really bad. He’s gotten better every single game, and the second half against Tennessee last week was easily some of the best ball, if not the best ball, he has played since the injury. Mateer is starting to see the field a bit better; he’s making the throws he needs to make — nothing extra, nothing too little, just doing what he’s supposed to.”

“If you looked at the box score, it would tell you that he’s not improving, but some of the issues he’s had aren’t on him, as offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has taken credit for some of them. He’s getting more confident with the use of his legs again, too, so it’s safe to say we may see the best version of him since the injury, against Alabama. It’s also possible we see a very average or somewhat bad version of him.” – Churchill

What makes OU so good against the run, an area where Alabama’s offense is struggling?

“It has to be the interior of the defensive line. Sophomores Jayden Jackson and David Stone are two of the best run defenders in the country, and one of them doesn’t even start. Gracen Halton, the starter, has really come along as a run defender, but he’s better in the pass game. I think Jackson’s ability to take up space, eat blocks, and just completely close down running lanes is elite. This is a guy who is on a potential first-round trajectory for the 2027 NFL Draft. And David Stone, well, he’s just insanely strong and has had moments where he quite literally just does what he wants, moving interior offensive linemen around.”

“And third, the preparation and game planning around the run game have been phenomenal. You can see that Venables knows what he’s doing, especially when it comes to his designed blitz and which lanes and gaps he’s designing the blitz. When runs are bounced outside, the edge rushers in R Mason Thomas and Taylor Wein pretty much have everything covered. This unit is elite, and they have no ego.” -Churchill

What’s the deal with all this talk about sign stealing?

“I think it’s just elite preparation from Brent Venables, one of the best defensive minds we have ever seen at this level of football. I think everything is within the parameters of the game, for sure. Are there some instances where the Sooners know what’s being called because they study film so well? Maybe.”

“But also, how many times have we heard coaches talk about that now, and say they will change everything up, and Oklahoma still comes out and shuts drives down? This is also just a really great defense coached by a fantastic coach.” – Churchill

Final Takeaways

This will not be a cakewalk for Alabama by any means. Not only does Oklahoma boast a lot of good players and a great scheme, but they have a favorable match-up against Alabama. Expect a tight one on Saturday.

Alabama Crimson Tide News

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