The Alabama Crimson Tide won an absolute thriller in Norman on Friday night, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 34-24 in the first round of the College Football Playoff to advance to the Rose Bowl and clinch a date with the undefeated No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers.
However, things did not start off well. For a minute in the first half it looked like Alabama was going to be absolutely blown out of the stadium.
With the offense appearing as anemic as ever and a fellow struggling Sooners offense firing on all cylinders, Alabama fell behind 17-0 after three straight three and outs to begin the game.
Instead of rolling over though, Alabama answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive culminated in a fourth and two completion to Lotzeir Brooks to get on the board and pull within 17-7.
After blocking a punt and putting another field goal on the board, things stood at 17-10 when Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer made the mistake of the night. He allowed Zabien Brown to pick him off and take it the other way for six to tie the game up right before the halftime break.
In the second half, it was a Ty Simpson bomb to Brooks once again for his second score of the night which gave Alabama its first lead of the night by a score of 24-17 early in the third quarter.
The Tide defense turned up the heat an that point and forced an Oklahoma three and out before converting on a field goal to go up two scores, but the Sooners did not go away from there. Early on in the fourth, Alabama’s lead was cut to three when Oklahoma foun the end zone once again via a Deion Burks 37-yard score to establish once again this was still very much a game.
After Alabama was forced to punt again, it was the defense having the offense’s back once more, getting the ball back in Oklahoma territory and setting up what was eventually a decisive touchdown for Daniel Hill and the offense.
Twice in the fourth quarter the Sooners tried to cut it to a one-score lead with a field goal, but both times the kicks were no good and the Tide was able to run out the clock and call it a day.
Next up for Alabama is a trip back to Pasadena after Christmas back in Tuscaloosa, getting a shot at Indiana on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl for the right to advance to the CFP semifinals.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
