Oklahoma has beaten Alabama in two straight matchups, and it’s not hard to figure out why. The common theme is the turnover battle. In the previous two games, Brent Venables’ defense has forced six total turnovers and the Sooners are plus-5 in the turnover battle.
Oklahoma’s defense is tied for 92nd with 13 takeaways on the season, but went on a heater late in the season with 10 of those 13 takeaways coming in its last four games. The Sooners’ four-game run of takeaways unsurpisingly led to lots of success, with those games resulting in wins at Tennessee, at Alabama and at home against Missouri and LSU.
Ironically enough, Alabama’s offense has been much better at taking care of the ball than Oklahoma’s offense this season, yet the Crimson Tide turned the ball over three times in November’s matchup with the Sooners. Alabama outgained Oklahoma 406-212 in that game, but the turnovers made Alabama’s dominance in the yardage department a moot point.
Takeaways are extremely volatile and difficult to rely on. Can Oklahoma carry its takeaway heater into the playoff?
