Alabama Rallies Past Oklahoma to Advance in College Football Playoffs

In a dramatic opening round of the 2025 College Football Playoff, the University of Alabama overcame a 17-point deficit and a hostile crowd to beat the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners 34-24 Friday night at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Alabama (11-3) trailed early after Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead. The Crimson Tide responded with a 27-point run that included big plays on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Ty Simpson finished with 232 yards passing and two touchdowns, helping swing momentum in Alabama’s favor.

Oklahoma’s home crowd even got an unexpected halftime boost when rapper 50 Cent performed “Many Men” between the third and fourth quarters — a song adopted by the Sooners as an anthem this week. Despite the energy, the Crimson Tide’s comeback held firm.

Alabama’s head coach Kalen DeBoer praised his team’s grit after the win. “I just couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” DeBoer said. “Resiliency. It’s been kind of a theme all season long, but it showed up tonight on the road. Down 17, coming back the way we did just one score at a time — just really stayed the course.”

The victory sends Alabama to Round 2 of the College Football Playoff, setting up a quarterfinal matchup against No. 1-ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2026, in Pasadena, California.

Indiana finished the regular season undefeated and earned a first-round bye as the top seed under the CFP’s expanded bracket. The Rose Bowl contest will serve as one of the playoff quarterfinal games, with the winner moving on toward the national semifinals.

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