Postgame Thoughts: Alabama 34, Oklahoma 24
An uplifting season for the Oklahoma Sooners came to a less joyful conclusion on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff, with OU suffering a 34-24 defeat at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
OU’s early 17-0 lead vaporized at the end of the first half on a run of costly gaffes by the offense and special teams units. The Tide capitalized on the opportunities handed to them by hitting on shot plays from quarterback Ty Simpson to Bama’s talented corps of receivers. In the end, Bama survived in a frenzied environment at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to get a chance to knock off No.1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
Here are a few knee-jerk reactions, based on the live broadcast of the game.
*The first time Bama and OU met this year, an interception return by cornerback Eli Bowen was instrumental in the Sooners’ win. The Tide returned the favor in round two as defensive back Zabien Brown snared a pass from John Mateer and took it 50 yards to the house late in the first half.
The pick-six killed OU’s hopes of taking a two-score lead into halftime. Instead, the first half ended with the two squads tied and Bama getting the ball to start the third quarter. Simply put, that can’t happen if you want to beat a quality team.
*This was the full John Mateer Experience.
In one sense, OU’s QB gave one of his best performances of the season as a thrower (26-of-41 attempts, 307 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). On the other hand, his passing stats don’t reflect the costs of the opportunities he missed as a result of inaccurate throws and poor decisions. The Bama defense also registered five sacks in the game, and he at least bears some responsibility for those.
Maddeningly inconsistent, which was the only consistent thing about Mateer’s game this season.
*To be fair, Mateer was probably OU’s best option on the ground. That doesn’t mean it was a good one, however, as the QB rushed for 41 sacks-excluded yards on 14 carries. Freshman Tory Blaylock chipped in 36 yards on 11 attempts.
All in all, the Sooners found little daylight when trying to run the ball – another theme this season.
*The kicking game played a major role in OU getting to the CFP in the first place, but special teams cost the Sooners dearly in their second matchup with Bama this year. A botched punt by Grayson Miller in the first half essentially handed the Tide three points. Additionally, a poor boot by Miller in the fourth quarter gave Bama possession on the Sooners’ 35 yard line, setting up a game-sealing TD run for the Tide by RB Daniel Hill. Moreover, two missed field goals in the second half by standout kicker Tate Sandell killed off OU’s chances of mounting a late comeback.
You could argue that the Sooners actually came back to earth on special teams after playing above their heads for most of the season. If so, unfortunate time for reality to set in.
*Compare the Bama WRs to the ones on the field for the Sooners on Friday night, and the differences appear stark. Upgrading that room feels like an obvious priority in the offseason.
That being said, the OU WRs gave the Sooners what they could versus the Tide. Deion Burks made his final collegiate game his best one, hauling in seven balls for 107 yards and an electric TD in the second half. Meanwhile, Jer’Michael Carter and Javonnie Gibson combined for five receptions and 87 yards to offer some optimism about their potential contributions in 2026.
*Aside from the fact that OU made the mistakes in this game that Bama made the first time around, the Tide’s ability to neutralize the Sooners pass rush made a huge difference in their second matchup. Simpson did get sacked four times, but he didn’t find himself under constant duress throughout the game. This falls under the heading of “other teams have coaches, too.”