Two programs not too far removed from head-coaching carousel dramas will meet in San Antonio for the 2021 edition of the Alamo Bowl. Will the Oregon Ducks get the win? Or will the Oklahoma Sooners finish the year with a big win? Check out our preview of this Oregon-Oklahoma Alamo Bowl showdown below.
Oregon isn’t facing the Utah Utes in this game, which might be a big plus for the Ducks, who lost to the Utes this season. The Ducks’ College Football Playoff dreams were derailed by the Utes, who beat Oregon in the regular season and then again in the Pac-12 Championship Game. But outside of those losses to their conference rival Utah, the Ducks have looked fantastic for the majority of the year. First of all, Oregon’s rushing attack is elite. It is 22nd in the nation with 205.0 rushing yards per game and 11th with 5.3 yards per carry. Oregon’s opportunistic defense will also be a big factor against the Sooners, as the Ducks finished the regular season no. 1 in the Pac-12 with 17 interceptions. Another thing to note about Oregon is that it will be coached by Bryan McClendon, who gets the interim head coach label following the departure of Mario Cristobal.
Oregon is 9-4 against the spread versus a team with a winning record.
Speaking of coaching dramas, there’s probably no louder one this year than the one in Norman. Lincoln Riley set Twitter on fire when he left Oklahoma for the Pac-12, taking a head-coaching gig at USC. Bob Stoops will coach the Sooners in the meantime. Oklahoma had its sights on a College Football Playoff semis until the Sooners got tripped up by the Baylor Bears in a 27-13 loss in Waco on Nov. 13. Since then, the Sooners have gone 1-1 straight up, defeating the Iowa State Cyclones at home, 28-21, and losing to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater on Nov. 27, 37-33. Quarterback Caleb Williams, who has taken over the starting quarterback gig from Spencer Rattler (entered the transfer portal) back in October will look to lead Oklahoma’s offense against Oregon. Williams has 1,650 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on the season with only four interceptions. He is also second on the team with 408 rushing yards and six rushing scores.
