The Tide was down 10-3 at the half and moving the ball in the third quarter when Milroe threw a pick that turned into points for the Sooners and a 14-point OU lead.
On the next possession, Milroe threw a pick-six, putting the Tide down by the final margin.
That’s three losses on the season for the Tide, which had not happened since the 2010 team went 10-3 in Nick Saban’s fourth season as head coach of the Tide. The common denominator in Alabama’s losses this season to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma is the poor play of Milroe. He has tossed at least one interception in each loss, including three in the OU loss.
“We must take full ownership of starting off faster and maximizing our opportunities,” Milroe said after the OU loss, per 247Sports.
Coming into this season, Milroe was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. After his four-touchdown performance against LSU, he had his coach, Kalen DeBoer, and others buzzing. But his performance Saturday all but killed his Heisman chances and probably his team’s chances of making the College Football Playoff.
All Alabama had to do was beat the 5-5 Sooners and Auburn Tigers (5-6) this Saturday and it would be headed to the SEC Championship Game, but the Tide fell woefully short.
It would be a mistake to lay all the blame on Milroe, but the one thing the Tide thought they could depend on was the play of the QB, who has regressed since last season.
Last season, Milroe passed for 2,824 yards, 23 TDs and tossed six interceptions. This season, he has thrown for 2,396 yards and 15 TDs and tossed nine picks. His completion percentage this season is just a tick below last year’s (65 to 65.8).
Milroe or the Alabama offense hasn’t looked the same since the stunning win at home against the Georgia Bulldogs, in which he went 27-for-33 for 374 yards and tossed two TD passes. Could he be hurt? He has denied that, so his poor recent play might be attributed to a lack of confidence.
or perhaps the pressure of winning has gotten to him — and to his team.
