In a contest that spanned three quarters, both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners appeared indifferent to securing a win.
The opening half was characterized by streaks. Oklahoma surged to a 17-0 lead, only to see Alabama rally with 17 consecutive points, leaving the teams deadlocked at halftime.
It was a sloppy affair with missed tackles, missed blocks, and overlooked receivers. By halftime, Alabama had amassed a mere -3 rushing yards.
Ultimately, neither squad emerged as a dominant force or truly worthy of advancing. Alabama’s consolation was that they made fewer blunders, earning them a spot in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The Crimson Tide secured their place in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl against top-seeded Indiana next week, clinching a 34-24 victory over the Sooners that felt more like a narrow escape than a clear triumph.
Alabama tallied 17 points in the second half, while Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell, honored with the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s best kicker, missed two crucial late field goals, sealing the Sooners’ quiet exit.
Alabama (white jerseys) knocked off Oklahoma (red jerseys) in the first CFP game of 2025
The Sooners bolted out to a 17-point lead thanks to the play of quarterback John Mateer (10)
But the game turned on its head when Mateer (10) tossed a pick-six OU never recovered from
Oklahoma won a similarly sloppy, yet more competitive game against the Crimson Tide on the road earlier in the season.
The Sooners seemed set to run out of the building and all the way to California by the time the clock hit 10:51 remaining in the second quarter.
OU quarterback John Mateer ran in for the first touchdown of the game, Sandell knocked through a 51-yard field goal and then Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna III through the air to go up 17-0.
It seemed like it was about to be a runaway for the Sooners – who were looking for their first ever College Football Playoff victory.
But by halftime, the Crimson Tide had drawn even – with the hammer blow coming off a mistake from Mateer.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson hit Lotzeir Brooks for a touchdown before kicker Conor Talty knocked through a 35-yard field goal.
But the moment the game truly turned was when Mateer threw a horrifically read pass right into the arms of Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown – who ran the ball back 50 yards to the house to tie the game at 17-17.
With momentum on their side, the Tide never looked back. Brooks caught a second touchdown pass of the night and Talty kicked another field goal to make it 27-17 by the end of the third quarter.
While Alabama’s Ty Simpson was efficient, the Crimson Tide offense never seemed powerful
Deion Burks’ (4) late touchdown catch gave the Sooners some form of hope in the final quarter
The closest Oklahoma got to a comeback was by cutting their deficit to three on a Deion Burks touchdown connection.
Just four plays later and Alabama was on the board again when about four Sooners missed tackles on running back Daniel Hill.
Oklahoma could have made something from this game. With 7:24 left, they could have scored, stopped a stop-and-go Alabama offense, and then scored again to either try and tie the game or take the lead.
After trading punts, time was even less on the side of the Sooners. They stalled out at the Alabama 18-yard-line and sent out Sandell for a 36-yard chip shot field goal which should have been routine for the most accurate kicker in the Power Four conferences.
Instead, the wind on the plains in Norman blew his kick directly over the left upright and the officials waved their hands to indicate a miss as Oklahoma Memorial Stadium fell silent from the shock.
The Sooners had one final chance when Alabama’s offense stalled out again. But five plays later, Sandell was called up again to kick from 51-yards-out. His low line drive of a kick fell woefully short and the Crimson Tide kneeled out the clock to seal their win.
OU’s Tate Sandell was named the best kicker in the nation. He missed a pair of late field goals.
Shockingly, on a night where Oklahoma out-gained Alabama by over 100 yards, it was the Sooners who seemed inept on offense.
Mateer threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns – but the costly interception proved the difference.
Meanwhile, Alabama will not find any solace in Simpson’s 232 yards – but the two touchdowns were points to the good.
However, the Tide must prepare their troubled offense to face an Indiana Hoosiers team that hasn’t given up more than 24 points in any game this season – and has allowed a combined 20 points across their past three contests combined.
