What Nick Saban feels will be the most important thing for Alabama on offense against Oklahoma

Nick Saban feels Alabama football’s offensive success against Oklahoma Friday will lean on the Tide’s ability to protect Ty Simpson.

Simpson was sacked four times when the Sooners defeated the Tide in Tuscaloosa earlier this season. However, he still managed to throw for 326 yards, but the two turnovers he had as a result of the Sooners’ pressure were devastating.

This is why Saban feels how the Tide and Simpson will handle Oklahoma’s pressure will be a determining factor on Friday.

“The pressure package that they have, and I think that was the big difference in the first game,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “When you watch the game, when they got their pressures blocked up, they made a lot of explosive plays. I’m talking about Alabama. But when they didn’t, it was devastating in terms of sack fumbles, pick sixes, sacks that led to stopping drives. It was like feast or famine in the game. So, how they can execute against the pressures, to me, is the most important thing because if you can get to the backend of Oklahoma’s defense, I think you got a chance to make plays, which was evident in the first game. I mean, Alabama had over 400 yards versus Oklahoma’s 200, but three turnovers all in negative field position that led to 17 points helped Oklahoma tremendously in the game. And you can’t have those kind of plays. If you have those kind of plays, Oklahoma will be successful. That’s how they win.”

Alabama’s offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb feels the Tide’s offensive line will have to lean on elite communication to protect Simpson.

“Elite communication, the best communication they’ve had all year, that’s what it’s gonna come down to because in the first game, they did a good job with that,” Grubb said earlier this week. “We had two negative-yard runs, which were actually gains of zero. We talked about that before. The sacks came on lack of communication and one of them really was probably Ty could have got it out of his hand, but ultimately for us, it’s just gonna come down to those guys communicating and everybody being on the same call. If half the line’s on one call, the other half’s not, that’s where your problems happen. That’s where sacks and problems in the A and B gap happen.”

Alabama and Oklahoma will go to battle at 7 p.m. CST in Norman.