Alabama coach is using the perfect approach with his players that the Oklahoma Sooners are going to have to deal with

Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer is using the perfect approach for his players vs. Oklahoma

“You know, we have a lot of new players on the team, so there are players who didn’t experience that. The ones that did certainly better remember,” DeBoer told reporters earlier this week.. “And understand that, more importantly, you’re facing a really good program that, you know, obviously, we went to their place and got beat up pretty good last year, and that’s who’s coming to town this week. And so, you know, Coach Venables has done an amazing job instilling a culture there, and, you know, got a team that is coming here hungry.

"They’re in the hunt for a lot of different things as far as reaching their goals. You can’t help but remember, you know, the past, and those questions you asked just now or also asked, you know, a few weeks ago when we played Vanderbilt and so forth. And so, you know, our guys, you know, should remember that, because our experiences help us be better the next time around.”

Last season, the Sooners were a terrible football team. They barely made a bowl game, and in fact, beating Bama was the way they got their sixth win. No one had them winning that game, either. You can make a case that the Sooners are the reason Alabama didn't get into the College Football Playoffs at the end of the season. Surely Alabama wants to be the reason Oklahoma doesn't get in.

This time around, though, both teams are better than the versions we saw last year. However, Oklahoma made the bigger jump. Alabama is a championship-contending team, but they are still flawed. Oklahoma is a team that lost its bowl game, which they barely made last season, to Navy. Now, they're competing for the playoffs.

Now, this is 2025, not 2024, so none of that really matters. However, OU, as a bad football team, beat Alabama last year, and now they're a good football team. So, they have to like their chances at least a bit. This is the best defense in the SEC that Oklahoma is bringing into Tuscaloosa. Their offense isn't great, but the one thing they do well, running the ball, is what Alabama struggles with defensively. This game is set up for Oklahoma to win, regardless of what approach DeBoer takes.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.