Alabama’s 23-21 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday brought concerns to the surface about the Crimson Tide’s offensive balance. Enough so, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt turned his attention to assessing how it will affect the Tide’s postseason.
On The Joel Klatt Show, he explained how the defeat put into question a broader issues that makes Alabama “too one-dimensional” to realistically contend for a national championship this season.
Klatt says the Tide’s reliance on quarterback Ty Simpson and an inconsistent passing game not being on all the time was a problem. They went through most of the season being able to escape with wins. However, Oklahoma’s defense kept Alabama honest.
Despite Simpson throwing for 326 yards and a touchdown, the Tide produced just 17 points and failed to sustain drives. Turnovers again proved costly, with Oklahoma scoring 17 points off Tide giveaways.
“From Bama’s perspective, this is exactly why I don’t view them as a national championship contender,” Klatt said. “Even if they were able to go and win the SEC, I still think they’re not going to be able to get through a playoff and win a national championship because of that.”
Klatt added that Alabama’s issues aren’t isolated to the Oklahoma loss. “They have flaws and they will run into a matchup where they will lose again this season,” he said. “They’re too one-dimensional.”
The defeat snapped a 17-game home winning streak and marked Kalen DeBoer’s first loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama remains alive in the SEC race, but with Auburn coming in two weeks, Klatt warned that the Tide must find balance quickly to make a Playoff run.
Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.