The Sooners laid a 28-point cushion to the Crimson Tide before outscoring Alabama 34-17 to finish the game, but couldn’t make the necessary stops to close the gap down the stretch.
Speaking of gaps, the Crimson Tide’s advantage in the trenches was painfully obvious over the last three quarters. Alabama played keep-away while Kyler Murray and the red-hot OU offense was force to watch from the sidelines.
So what happens next?
The Sooners will have to continue to build through recruiting and make a key defensive coordinator hire. Candidates include Alabama’s co-defensive coordinator Pete Golding and Ohio State’s Alex Grinch.