Joel Klatt believes Oklahoma has the secret to upset Alabama

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks there's a secret formula to beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2025, and he believes the Oklahoma Sooners have it.

The No. 11 Sooners travel to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday as underdogs that don't seem to have a chance with their College Football Playoff lives on the line. However, it seems Klatt believes the Crimson Tide could be in more danger than the Sooners.

"I look at Oklahoma, and I think to myself, 'Well, that's a really bad matchup for Alabama,'" Klatt said this week on his "The Joel Klatt Show" podcast. "Can Alabama overcome it? Certainly they can. But will it be difficult? Yes."

Joel Klatt says Sooners' pass rush could be Alabama's weakness

Klatt said the difference for the Sooners pulling off the upset could be their elite pass rush. OU is third in the country with 33 sacks this season. And while going against a squad that relies heavily on its passing attack with Heisman Trophy candidate Ty Simpson at quarterback, the Sooners allow 181.8 passing yards a game, which ranks 23rd in the FBS.

"What would you do if you're building a team to go and play Alabama? Well, the first thing you would do is that you would build a defense that can get after the quarterback," Klatt said. "Check. It's exactly what Oklahoma does. ...

"Alabama -- as I've been talking about this entire year -- they are more matchup specific than most teams, because they are elite in one area and have struggled in other areas. Doesn't mean they're a bad team, it just means that they don't have a lot of balance. Oklahoma can specifically take advantage of that because of what their defense does and where the strengths on their defense lie."