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Nate Oats states SEC/Big 12 challenge important to SEC

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•01/28/23•

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(Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Nate Oats stated how big the SEC-Big 12 challenge was to Alabama and the conference as a whole.

The latest edition pitted Alabama against Oklahoma in a non-conference tilt. The No. 2 Crimson Tide did not want to overlook the Sooners and Oats said it was important for Alabama to get the win Saturday.

Simply put, the Crimson Tide have an intriguing game on tap.

“Looking forward to the Big 12 challenge,” Oats said. “I think it’s a big deal for the SEC to play well on this. You know, it’s kind of in the middle of the conference (schedule) and most teams are playing within the conference. So I guess, it’s big for the SEC to do well. We’re going to try to do our part in it. Not an easy game on the road at Oklahoma. I mean … I think they’ve lost four  one-possession games. So they’re playing teams really tough. Texas, Kansas, Baylor, you know, they’ve just lost some one possession games. 

“So our guys gotta understand as a team, they are more than capable of playing with the best teams in the country. We know that, we’re prepping our guys for it. We got to be much improved from the Mississippi State game. I don’t think we were very good in that game at all on Wednesday, but I think our guys will be (ready).

“I think they, hopefully, got a little bit of a wake up call that we got to come prepared a little better and come focused a little better. Play harder to start the game. So, looking forward to seeing our guys respond after the Wednesday game.”

SEC/Big 12 Challenge important to Nate Oats, Alabama

Alabama had its own challenges in the SEC before the challenge game in the Big 12.

“The SEC’s a tough league,” Oats said after the win over Mississippi State. That team’s only won one game in the SEC, and you saw how tough it was to get a win. You’ve gotta give a ton of credit to Mississippi State. They came ready to play. I thought they had a great plan.

“They improved more than we improved from the first time we played them. I didn’t think we did a great job getting our guys ready to go. We didn’t do a good job attacking them. We didn’t start the game like we needed to.”

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Alabama and Oklahoma continue the SEC/Big 12 Challenge Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET.