Karen DeBoer explains Alabama’s offensive mistakes in Oklahoma loss
Crimson Tide coach Karen DeBoer said the loss to Oklahoma was disappointing as they missed an opportunity in a tough game.
- The University of Oklahoma’s victory over the University of Alabama is expected to cause a major shake-up in the college football rankings.
- Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M are expected to remain the top three undefeated teams.
- Georgia is expected to advance to the top four after a decisive win over Texas.
Note the top 10 change in the US LBM Coaches Poll following Oklahoma’s blowout win over Alabama. We could expect a similar move in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.
The Crimson Tide, previously ranked No. 4, will drop at least four spots and as many as six spots, depending on how voters shake off a long list of two-loss teams that includes Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
If it falls to only eighth place, voters will ignore the result of Saturday’s head-to-head contest, but that seems unlikely. But to move Oklahoma up to No. 8, voters will need to get the Sooners out of the way before the Irish, who had a very impressive performance in defeating Pittsburgh.
Here are the top 10 in this week’s coaches poll:
1. Ohio State (10-0)
The Buckeyes suffered a 48-10 loss to UCLA behind 115 rushing yards and a score from Bo Jackson. Rutgers is next up, scheduled to play Michigan in Ann Arbor, which could determine which team will face Indiana in the Big Ten championship game.
2. Indiana (11-0)
The Hoosiers, who had already clinched a playoff berth, continued their march towards perfection by defeating Wisconsin 31-7. One of the lesser-known aspects of Curt Cignetti’s incredible run has been the play of a defense full of NFL talent.
3. Texas A&M (10-0)
Down 30-3 at halftime, A&M completed the biggest comeback in program history, defeating the University of South Carolina 31-30. This was also a dividing line in SEC history. Since 2004, teams are 0-286 when the margin is at least 27 points. Next up is training with Sanford before heading to Austin to face rival Texas.
4. Georgia (9-1)
The Bulldogs defeated Texas 35-10 and moved up one spot to replace Alabama. They may even replace the Tide in the SEC Championship Game after Saturday’s rough conditions made the race more uncertain than ever. A lot will depend on how Texas A&M plays against Texas.
5. Oregon State (9-1)
After playing against Minnesota, Oregon State will face the season-deciding match against Southern California. A win would make the Ducks one of the favorites for an at-large bid, and a chance to advance to the Big Ten title game if Michigan tops Ohio State.
6. Mississippi State (10-1)
The Rebels trailed Florida 24-20 at halftime, but tightened their defense in the second half and won 34-24. After a week off, it’s the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. Advancement to the playoffs is almost certain.
7. Texas Tech (10-1)
Let’s hope Tech can get a little closer to Ole Miss after defeating Central Florida 48-9. More importantly, another shake-up in conference play, combined with the crazy results we saw on Saturday, means the Red Raiders are much closer to winning at-large before the Big 12 title game.
8. Holy Moloko!
Believe it or not, Oklahoma is the eighth-best team in the nation, more important than wins over Michigan, Tennessee and Alabama, and is part of a very solid resume against one of the toughest schedules in the country. The best-case scenario for the Sooners is to finish the regular season with only two losses, falling short of the SEC Championship Game after defeating the University of Missouri and LSU.
9. Alabama
Alabama may fall behind Oklahoma, but it will continue to outperform Notre Dame thanks to a dramatically stronger win list. Despite the loss, the Tide has a chance to beat Auburn, play for the SEC title and re-emerge in the rankings.
10. Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame could sweat a little if it falls behind Oklahoma in the playoff rankings. First, the Irish are close to Syracuse and Stanford, so there is no chance of a win that would impress the selection committee. That means if the Sooners move up in the standings this week, they will remain ahead of the Irish. And if the rankings drop, Notre Dame will move closer to Miami, potentially leading to a head-to-head victory for the Hurricanes.
