These can feel like grasping at straws sometimes, but in this case, I really think Jacob Jordan can be the difference for the OU passing game. Deion Burks probably isn’t going to play. Jalil Farooq has already been downgraded to questionable after he gave it a try two weeks ago at Mizzou. The return of those two players — for better or worse — did almost nothing for the offense in Columbia. Meanwhile, as the coaching staff inserted their stars back into the lineup, it came at the expense of Jordan, the true freshman walk-on who had blossomed in a three-week stretch, catching six passes for 86 yards against South Carolina, six for 38 and a touchdown at Ole Miss and three for 36 against Maine. At Mizzou? Jordan got to play one snap and was relegated to the end of the bench. OU defenders say he’s a frustrating player to cover because he runs such precise routes and catches almost everything. Also, when Jackson Arnold was benched and running the scout team, he developed some chemistry with Jordan. The Sooner staff would be wise to utilize him against the Crimson Tide.

— John E. Hoover

Alright, a Butkus Award semifinalist and the heartbeat of Oklahoma’s football team is probably too high-profile to qualify as “under the radar,” but it’s Senior Night and I’m going to bend the rules. Stutsman was everywhere against Missouri, totaling 19 tackles and preventing the Tigers from having much of a rushing attack at all. He’s going to say all the right things, but Stutsman’s final game on Owen Field means a great deal to him and his family, and I expect we’ll see another fantastic outing from the talismanic linebacker. And Oklahoma will need it. Jalen Milroe’s ability on the ground makes Alabama’s entire offensive operation go. The teams that have had success bottling him up, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, were able to upend the Crimson Tide. Any path to a shock OU victory runs through a night to remember for Stutsman — something he’s completely capable of on Saturday. 

— Ryan Chapman 

Even though Saturday marks Senior Day in Norman, the Sooners will be leaning heavily on a true freshman against the Crimson Tide. Coming off a career-high 56 yards on nine carries against Missouri, running back Xavier Robinson said he’s burning his redshirt seems to be in line for an increased share of the team’s carries this week when Alabama comes to town. If the Oklahoma City product has another strong performance, it could be enough to spark Oklahoma’s offense and keep the Sooners in contention against a formidable opponent who has been able to light up the scoreboard this season.

— Randall Sweet

The Sooners will need explosive plays to have a chance to take down Alabama. With receiver Deion Burks injured and sidelined again, the speedy Brenen Thompson might be OU’s best chance at a big play. Thompson has reached the end zone twice this season, and the last time was a 54-yard touchdown connection with Jackson Arnold, proving what Thompson is capable of if he and Arnold get the time they need. Alabama might also overlook the 5-foot-9 receiver and focus on a bigger threat like Jalil Farooq, possibly freeing Thompson, if even for one big play. 

— Dekota Gregory

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has been a hot topic of conversation all season long. The Sooners have been banged up and the passing game has been extremely quiet. Whether it’s the quarterback spot, the offensive line, or the short handed receiver group, it’s been an all-around failure. Jalil Farooq has been injured for most of the season, but returned to the lineup against Missouri two weeks ago. He was expected to have a breakout campaign, but injuries have hampered his time on the field. Farooq looked rusty in his first week back, and it looked like he might not fully trust his foot yet. With a bye week in the past, this is the time for Farooq to make a difference, though. Oklahoma will desperately need him  with no other starting receivers healthy, and could force feed him early and often.

— Ross Lovelace

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – The Alabama State Department of Education released its annual report card for the 2023-2024 school year.

This report breaks down the overall academic success of the state.

Overall the state scored an 85, up two points from last school year. The ALSDE said, however, that academic achievement is low, scoring a D. Academic growth earned a 97. The state’s graduation rate scored an A. English language proficiency scored a 41.

College and Career Readiness for the state received an 84 B. The full report card for the state can be viewed here.

The report also provides scores for individual schools and school systems.

The Coffee County School System scored a 90 overall, improving by one point from last school year.

Kinston saw a drop in chronic absenteeism from 8.44 to 6.62. New Brockton Elementary raised its overall grade from an 87 to a 90. New Brockton Middle School also saw a big drop in absenteeism this school year, going from 13 to 6.86. New Brockton High School also raised its score by three points, moving from an 80 to 83. A full breakdown of all Coffee County Schools is below:

The Enterprise City School System scored an 89 overall, keeping the same score as last school year.

Enterprise High School scored a 79, dropping from its 82 last year. Dauphin Jr. High raised its score by four points to 94. Pinedale Elementary’s overall score stayed the same but there was a three-point increase in academic achievement. The full breakdown of Enterprise City Schools scores is below:

Houston County School System raised its score by two points, going from an 87 to an 89. Ashford Elementary saw a large drop in absenteeism from 13 to 1.02. Wicksburg High School upped its graduation rate by 9 points. Cottonwood Elementary saw a jump in academic achievement from 75 to 80. A full breakdown of Houston County Schools scores is below:

Dothan City Schools overall scored a 79. So did Carver 9th Grade Academy. Dothan High School raised its score by 7 points to 78 and saw a drop in absenteeism. Highlands Elementary scored a 91 in academic growth. Dothan Prep saw an increase in English language proficiency, going from a 19 to 34. A full breakdown of all schools in the Dothan City School System is below:

Elba City Schools scored an 81 B overall. For the full report card, click here.

Overall, Dale County scored a 90, raising its score from 88 last year. For the full report card, click here.

Daleville City Schools raised its score three points from 74 to 77. For the full report card, click here.

Ozark City Schools scored an 83 overall. For the full report card, click here.

Geneva County Schools raised its overall score from a 91 to a 93. For the full report card, click here.

Geneva City Schools scored a 93 overall. For the full report card, click here.

Henry County Schools scored an 89 overall. View the full report card here.

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Oklahoma is going to have its hands full on Saturday night. 

The Sooners will welcome Alabama to Norman for just the second time ever, and it’s only the seventh all-time meeting between the two college football powers. 

The No. 7-ranked Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2 SEC) are looking to continue their march toward the College Football Playoff while OU (5-5, 1-5) is just trying to honor its seniors in the home finale by getting bowl eligible. 

Kalen DeBoer has kept Alabama’s offense firing as one of the nation’s best, presenting a tough test for the Sooners. 

The Crimson Tide offense can hurt defenses in a hurry. 

Quarterback Jalen Milroe has forged a lethal connection with freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, and he can also do damage with his legs. 

Slowing down Alabama play-after-play is hard enough, but make one mistake and DeBoer’s offense can make defenses pay. 

The Crimson Tide have scored 53 touchdowns on offense this year, and 23 of those have from from 20-plus yards out. 

It’s not just been ‘Bama beating defenses over the top, either. Of the 23 chunk plays that have scored, 12 have been passes and 11 runs. 

OU’s rushing defense has held up Ewell this year, as the Sooners rank 18th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, but the Sooners have struggled with letting receivers hurt them deep in SEC-play this year, which will be a concern come Saturday. 

Nick Saban may be gone, but Alabama’s defense is still turning opponents over at a high rate. 

The Crimson Tide have forced 24 turnovers this year, recovering 10 fumbles and picking off quarterbacks 14 times. 

That’s an area of concern for Oklahoma, who has been allergic to ball security. 

In OU’s last outing alone against Missouri, the Sooners put the ball on the ground six times, losing four of those fumbles. 

Quarterback Jackson Arnold was responsible for two of the lost fumbles by himself, the last of which was returned for a touchdown and untimely did OU in. 

If the Sooners are to have any shot of pulling the unlikely upset on Saturday, they’ll have to take care of the football — something that hasn’t happened since the win over Auburn in September. 

While the Alabama defense has been opportunistic, it hasn’t quite been the dominant unit of the Saban Era. 

Opponents have rushed for 132.2 yards per game against the Tide, which ranks 53rd in the country. 

While OU’s offense has struggled this year, there have been glimpses of a rushing attack that can keep the Sooners in SEC games, especially against Ole Miss and Missouri.

Jovantae Barnes’ availability is up in the air, but true freshman Xavier Robinson looked like a difference maker at running back late against Missouri. 

Oklahoma’s path to victory includes winning the turnover battle and having success on the ground to shorten the game, something Vanderbilt was especially good at in its upset victory over ‘Bama earlier this year. 

The Crimson Tide are 18th in the country in third down defense, allowing conversions 31.5 percent of the time, so staying ahead of the chains by having success on the ground will be crucial for Oklahoma’s offense to stay on track.