Friday night, the Crimson Tide is playing in the College Football Playoff’s biggest matchup.

The standalone game against the Oklahoma Sooners is happening over in Norman in front of a huge national audience.

It’s the first playoff game and biggest showdown yet under Kalen DeBoer. It will be the culmination of what has been a bit of a roller coaster of a regular season.

After an ugly start to the year, Alabama rattled off eight straight victories before Oklahoma rolled into Bryant-Denny Stadium and ended the winning streak.

After a defeat against the Sooners effectively ended the playoff bid in 2024, things are personal here for DeBoer and the Tide. However, this matchup may prove to be the toughest of the three, with the Sooners much healthier than they were a month ago.

Oklahoma has one of the better defenses in the nation — led by an absolutely ferocious pass rush — which was able to force three Alabama turnovers in their last time out. It ended up ultimately being the difference maker in the game.

Winning the turnover battle should be priority No. 1 for both teams, but especially for Alabama — who has severely struggled on offense the last few games.

Having some semblance of a running game is also going to be key for the Crimson Tide. As for how this showdown will be won, this game has the makings of a true, old-school slugfest.

Conventional wisdom expects this to be a low scoring affair, and one where every point — especially from each special teams unit — will be absolutely massive.

The Sooners have one of the best kickers in the nation in Tate Sandell, while Alabama’s kicking struggles have been well-documented. When Alabama is able to get into the red zone, they must take advantage with touchdowns rather than field goals.

The Tide also has to do a better job of protecting Ty Simpson than what was the disaster offensive line performance against Georgia. Simpson also must hold up his end of the bargain by making the simple throws.

If Alabama can effectively run the ball and avoid turnovers, they’ll have a great chance to clinch a trip to the Rose Bowl. If not, it will be another head-scratching defeat for DeBoer and the start of a very long offseason.