Alabama stumbles at Oklahoma as CFP chances take severe hit - ESPN

NORMAN, Okla. — Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer lamented his team's «uncharacteristic» mistakes in the aftermath of a 24-3 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night that dealt a significant blow to the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff hopes.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw three interceptions, and the Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-3 SEC) never shook off a slow start against an Oklahoma defense that held them to a season-low 70 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the Sooners (6-5, 2-5) — relying on the legs of quarterback Jackson Arnold and freshman running back Xavier Robinson — gashed Alabama for 257 rushing yards on their way to sealing bowl eligibility for a 26th consecutive season.

The Crimson Tide have three losses for the first time since 2010.

Alabama began Week 13 in line to reach the SEC title game on Dec. 7 with wins over Oklahoma then Auburn during the final two weeks of the regular season. Instead, the Crimson Tide's road stumble helped No. 10 Georgia clinch a spot in the conference championship and left Alabama's path into the CFP on shaky ground. Even if the Tide beat the Tigers in the Iron Bowl next weekend, Alabama will need plenty of help in order to land a spot in the 12-team playoff field.

Following the program's lowest-scoring performance since 2004, DeBoer focused on the Tide's early errors in a game he said «got away» from them after halftime.

«We got to be better in all ways,» DeBoer said. «Some simple things, uncharacteristic things, happened early in the game where we didn't get the momentum on our side. And really, it comes down to the end of the first half [with] them scoring a touchdown and the turnovers really kind of changing the momentum of the game there.»

It was a particularly rough night for Milroe. The