Alabama plans to be 'top defense in the country' vs Oklahoma in CFP
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Bray Hubbard doesn’t care what the stats say or how Alabama football’s defense compares to Oklahoma’s on paper.
Hubbard believes Alabama has the best defense in the country, a rallying cry the Crimson Tide safety plans to bring to Norman, Oklahoma, for the first round of the College Football Playoff Friday, Dec. 19.
“We have to go out there and prove every week that we’re the top defense in the country,” Hubbard said.
On paper, the Crimson Tide is chasing the Sooners.
Oklahoma has the No. 1 scoring defense in the SEC, ranked No. 7 nationally allowing 13.7 points per game. The Sooners have the best total defense in the conference allowing 273.6 yards per game.
But head-to-head, Alabama held the advantage against Oklahoma.
On Nov. 15, Alabama’s defense allowed 194 fewer yards than Oklahoma’s. The Sooners had 11 fewer first downs than the Crimson Tide and averaged just over 4 yards per play.
But when you ask Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack the definitive stats for defensive advantage, it’s scoring defense and takeaways. And Alabama lost both to Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide lost the game 23-21. And the Crimson Tide lost the turnover margin 3-0.
“We cannot walk out of that game minus three in the turnover margin again,” Wommack said.
As Alabama prepares for an Oklahoma rematch, Wommack sees a reinvigorated defense, a unit that is “doing as good of a job as they ever have of trying to create takeaways.”
It’s a defense looking for “shots on ball,” Wommack said, opportunity to punch the ball out of the offensive player’s hands. It’s effort. It’s physicality. And it’s what has defined Alabama’s defense all season long.
Of the teams remaining in the College Football Playoff field, Texas Tech, Indiana, Tulane and Miami are the only teams with a better turnover margin than Alabama.
One stat looms larger for the Alabama defense.
In 2025 wins, Alabama has 17 takeaways ― nearly two takeaways per game ― and eight turnovers.
In 2025 losses, Alabama has one takeaway and four turnovers. That’s more than one per game.
Wommack’s challenge for Alabama from the first Oklahoma game remains the same: be the most dominant defense on the field. In every category.
“It doesn’t matter how they got the ball or where they got the ball or what the situation is,” Wommack said. “Can we find ways to stop people? And are we giving our offense more opportunities to score?”
Hubbard’s goal is simpler.
“We don’t ever want an offense to score on us,” Hubbard said.
Alabama takes on Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Dec. 19 on ABC.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football defense ready to be best vs Oklahoma in CFP
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