Alabama stumbles at Oklahoma, hurting CFP chances

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Alabama coach Karen DeBoer lamented his team’s “uncharacteristic” mistakes after a 24-3 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night that dealt a major blow to the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw three interceptions, but the Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-3 SEC) couldn’t shake off a slow start against the Sooners defense, which was held to a season-low 70 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC), relying on the legs of quarterback Jackson Arnold and freshman running back Xavier Robinson, cruised to a season-low 257 rushing yards against Alabama to clinch its 26th consecutive bowl berth. The Crimson Tide suffered its first three-game losing streak since 2010. Alabama entered Week 13 with wins over Oklahoma and Auburn in the final two weeks of the regular season and a shot at a spot in the SEC title game on Dec. 7. Instead, the No. 10 Crimson Tide’s stumbles on the road have earned Georgia a spot in the conference championship and left Alabama on a shaky path to the CFP. Even if the Crimson Tide beat the Tigers in next weekend’s Iron Bowl, Alabama will need a lot of help to clinch a spot in the 12-team playoff.     After the team’s lowest scoring performance since 2004, Coach DeBoer focused on the Crimson Tide’s early mistakes, saying after halftime that the team “slid through the cracks.” “We have to get better in every area,” DeBoer said. “Some simple things, uncharacteristic things happened early in the game that didn’t allow us to get the momentum on our side. And really, it was at the end of the first half that they scored a touchdown and the turnover really changed the game.” It was a particularly tough night for Milroe. The junior completed 11 of 26 passes for 164 yards but rushed for just seven yards on 15 attempts. Alabama was leading 10-3 early in the third quarter when Oklahoma cornerback Eli Bowen intercepted a pass from Milroe, and five plays later Robinson scored his second touchdown run of the game. Linebacker Kip Lewis intercepted a throw to Milroe tight end Robbie Utz for a 49-yard touchdown to extend the Sooners’ lead to 24-3 on the ensuing possession. Oklahoma’s 21-point deficit was Alabama’s largest margin of victory against an unranked opponent since 2003. The Crimson Tide managed just five first downs and 80 total yards after Milroe’s two consecutive interceptions. Woody Washington’s game-winning interception with 6:53 left in the game made him the first Alabama quarterback to throw three interceptions in a game since 2015. While Milroe struggled, DeBoer saw bigger problems with the offense, which couldn’t recover from a poor first half that included punting on three of the Crimson Tide’s first four possessions. “I think when you take a step back, it felt like there were some unusual things at the start of the game, some drops, balls lost in the spotlight, things that were uncharacteristic,” DeBoer said. “Some funny stuff happened. We thought (Milroe) was actually going to get the ball where it needed to be, and we just had to help him out a little bit.” Sooners coach Brent Venables said Oklahoma was a “more physical football team” and that its offense proved to be the most rushing yards Alabama has allowed in a first half since 2007, recording 205 rushing yards in the first half. The Crimson Tide continued to struggle against the Sooners’ offense after halftime without linebacker Deonte Lawson. Alabama’s second-leading tackler left the game in the second quarter with a lower-body injury and missed the rest of the game. Coach DeBoer did not provide an update on Lawson’s status after the game. “When you lose a great player like Deonte, it always has an impact,” DeBoer said. “His leadership qualities. He’s a guy that makes a lot of decisions on the field. He always seems to have everything under control.” The surprising loss puts the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes in jeopardy heading into the final week of the regular season. With Alabama’s playoff ambitions out of control ahead of the Tigers’ visit to the Iron Bowl, the quarterback is focused on moving forward. “It’s all about finishing,” Milroe said late Saturday night. “We’ve got to finish. There’s still a lot left in this football season. We just need to bring everybody together, bring like-minded people together and keep competing. We just need to take advantage of every opportunity we’re given.”