Oklahoma Sooners (7-2) are not done yet. But one loss, and Brent Venables will have no chance to make it to the playoffs. They face Alabama in Week 12 in a revenge game for Kalan DeBoer and the Tide. However, to make things complicated for the guests at Tuscaloosa, the Sooners will be without a key defensive player.

“Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas is unlikely to play today at Alabama. He’s been listed as questionable as he recovers from a quad injury, and a final decision isn’t expected until game time. He’s Oklahoma’s best defensive player,” reported ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Apart from R Mason Thomas, some other players will also not feature against Alabama.

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Defensive Tackle Jayden Jackson is listed as questionable, while defensive back Gentry Williams is doubtful for the game. Not to mention, players like Jovantae Barnes (RB) and Tayler Tatum are ruled out. The absences can hurt Oklahoma since Jayden Jackson is a prolific lineman and has 22 tackles to his name, along with 3 sacks. Gentry Williams, on the other hand, has proven reliable, notching up 10 tackles so far. Still, Oklahoma will miss R Mason Thomas the most.

Mason Thomas suffered a hamstring injury, playing against Tennessee in Week 10. “We’ll just continue to evaluate him. It’s still just a couple of days into it. I’ll let y’all know when I know a little more,” said Venables. The head coach, at the time, was banking on the bye week to help regroup his injured players. But that surely hasn’t happened for R Mason Thomas. “The bye week comes at a great time to just regroup, refocus on where we’re at as a football team, get some guys healthy,” said Venables.

Oklahoma has one of the best D lines in the country, ranked 4th in rushing defense. Whereas, the team also offers a prolific pass rush, which is ranked 23rd in the country. But losing a guy like Mason, who already has 6.5 sacks (21st nationally) to his name, complicates things. Not to mention, the player has 23 total tackles and is the best player on the Sooners’ D line. The 6’2″ and 249 lbs DT’s absence then can allow Ty Simpson to function without worry in the pocket.

Ty Simpson predicted to exploit Brent Venables’ weakness amid R Mason Thomas’s absence

Ty Simpson is simply put, unworldly this season. The Alabama QB1 has passed for 2,461 yards so far and has been pivotal in Bama’s undefeated run ever since the FSU defeat. Not just that, but Simpson is quite accurate, too, and has thrown just one interception in the season. Losing R Mason Thomas at such a crucial game surely can then haunt Brent Venables. This is something former Bama QB, Greg McElroy, also highlighted.

“You know that Brent Venables wants to stop the run. The question is, what resources defensively does he have to utilize to stop the run?” said McElroy. The ESPN analyst also highlighted a way in which Bama can dominate OU. “If Alabama can start to run the football and be patient and find some success on the ground, that would alter their defensive structure. And all of a sudden, those guys might be forced to play not just the pass, but also the run. So that might be kind of the enabler for the biggest battle of the game,” said McElroy.

Despite R Mason Thomas’s absence, Oklahoma would still be with its other ace linemen. Gracen Halton has proven to be a tough guy and has notched 3 sacks so far. Damonic Williams has also accumulated 17 tackles so far. Whereas Marvin Jones Jr has accumulated 13 tackles along with a sack so far. That said, R Mason Thomas’s absence is bound to hurt, and OU must find ingenuity to stop Bama’s rushing game, along with pressuring Ty Simpson.