Ryan Williams Under the Spotlight as Alabama Battles Oklahoma in CFP
If you’ve been following Alabama football this season, then the story around Ryan Williams in the College Football Playoff game against Oklahoma probably didn’t come as a huge surprise, but it definitely added another layer of drama. Williams, once the teenage sensation who shocked the college football world as a 17-year-old freshman, found himself right in the middle of a tough, pressure-filled night as Alabama tried to survive and advance in the CFP.
The game itself was tense from the start. Alabama and Oklahoma were locked in a tight battle, and every possession mattered. Coming out of halftime with the score tied, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson looked Williams’ way on a key play. It should have been a momentum-changing moment, but instead, the ball slipped right through Williams’ hands. That drop, his 10th of the season, stalled the drive and forced Alabama to punt, opening the door for Oklahoma to keep its energy alive after a strong first half.
Earlier in the game, Williams had also been targeted in the second quarter, but that attempt never really had a chance. The pass was off-line, and Williams went down trying to adjust, leaving Alabama empty-handed once again. As the game moved along, it became noticeable that Williams’ involvement was limited, especially compared to the expectations surrounding him.
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When Alabama later regained control and pushed its lead to 34-24, Williams wasn’t part of that scoring drive. Instead, Simpson went to Germie Bernard, who made a jaw-dropping catch using the back of an Oklahoma defender’s helmet to set Alabama up deep in scoring territory. The touchdown that followed came on the ground, further highlighting Williams’ quiet night.
The fourth quarter brought more tension. Oklahoma struck quickly with a touchdown, and it felt like the perfect moment for Williams to deliver a signature play, something like his breakout performance against Georgia in 2024. But that moment never came. Williams wasn’t targeted on the drive, Alabama failed to score, and another punt followed after Simpson was sacked on third down.
Statistically, the picture was just as rough. Williams finished the postseason so far with only two catches for 33 yards, both coming in the SEC Championship loss to Georgia. Against Oklahoma in the CFP game, he failed to record a single yard through much of the action. Even dating back to their November meeting, where Alabama lost 23-21, Williams had modest production with three catches for 45 yards.
This continued a troubling trend. Williams has now had multiple games this season without a catch and was staring at a fourth straight game without a touchdown. For a player with his talent, hype, and NIL value, including major endorsement deals announced just before kickoff, the contrast between expectation and on-field impact was impossible to ignore.
As Alabama moves forward, Ryan Williams remains a key piece of the future. The ability is there, the spotlight isn’t going away, and the hope is that consistency will eventually catch up with the potential everyone knows he has.
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