College Football Playoff: Will the Alabama defense be Kyler Murray’s kryptonite?

The most intriguing matchup of this year’s four-team College Football Playoff is between Alabama and Oklahoma who play in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29.

No. 1 Alabama looks to repeat as national champions but first, they’ll meet Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl. The undefeated Crimson Tide expect to have quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back as he recovers from surgery to repair a high ankle sprain.

If you haven’t been following Nick Saban’s team this year or are a casual fan who tunes in for the Playoff, here’s what you need to know about both sides of the ball when it comes to Alabama.

Offense

To talk about every good player on this Alabama offense would take hours. The Crimson Tide pretty much boasts a two-team-deep line-up of NFL prospects, and they have a solid leader and outstanding quarterback in Heisman runner-up Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa has a sterling 202.3 passer rating. He also has a touchdown ratio of 37 touchdowns to four interceptions, with two coming in the SEC Championship Game vs. Georgia.

Tagovailoa has impressed all year but the only thing to slow him has been nagging injuries to his knee and ankle. Saban said he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from ankle surgery and is expected to start vs. Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts will go back to his backup job after coming off the bench to lead the comeback in the SEC Championship Game.

Helping Tagovailoa put up record-breaking numbers has been Biletnikoff winner Jerry Jeudy who is a big-play threat, averaging 18.7 yards per reception and has scored 12 touchdowns. Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle have 724 and 803 yards, respectively. Tight end Irv Smith is one of the best at his position and a top draft prospect. The embarrassment of riches continues in the backfield where Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris give the Tide a three-headed monster to run at opposing defenses.

Defense

The Alabama defense has, at times, looked vulnerable against the pass, and may not feature the same number of high-profile names, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this isn’t an elite unit. Led by All-American and Outland Trophy winner, Quinnen Williams, he’s unblockable when he’s playing at the top of his game. He can absolutely wreck an offensive line and live in the opponents’ backfield.

Sophomore linebacker Dylan Moses leads the team in total tackles, adding on 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. The return of Mack Wilson is huge for the defense going against the top offense in the country.

The Crimson tide secondary features yet another draft prospect in redshirt junior defensive back Deionte Thompson, who comes into their playoff matchup with 41 tackles and two interceptions. Alabama has 14 interceptions on the season with Saivion Smith accounting for three.