For the first time since the expanded 12-team format, Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 SEC) earned the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff, setting up a first-round rematch with No. 9 Alabama (10-3, 7-1 SEC) on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. The winner advances to face No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal on Jan. 1. This isn’t just any playoff tilt—it’s a revenge-fueled SEC grudge match after OU’s gritty 23-21 upset over Bama on Nov. 15, where Eli Bowen’s 87-yard pick-six proved decisive. Despite the Sooners’ offensive inconsistencies and Alabama’s SEC title heartbreak (a loss to Georgia), both squads boast elite defenses and playoff pedigrees. Below, we break down the history, injuries, OU’s improbable path, and keys to victory. Boom(er) Sooner or Roll Tide? Let’s dissect.
Oklahoma’s Narrow Path: From 6-2 Slump to Playoff Lock
Oklahoma’s 2025 campaign was a rollercoaster—dominating early, stumbling midseason in the SEC gauntlet, then storming back with four nail-biting wins to snag an at-large bid and home playoff game. Predicted to finish 10th in the SEC preseason poll, the Sooners exceeded expectations under fourth-year coach Brent Venables, who took over defensive play-calling after a 6-7 disaster in 2024. Their resume? Five wins over ranked foes (most in the nation), including road upsets at No. 15 Michigan, No. 14 Tennessee, and No. 4 Alabama, plus a 17-13 clincher over LSU to cap the regular season.
OU’s defense was the backbone: Top-10 nationally in points allowed (18.5 PPG), yards (273.6 YPG), and run D (81.4 YPG). Offense? Middling (91st in total yds, 107th in rushing), leaning on Mateer’s timely scrambles (2,578 pass yds, 12 TDs) and Sategna’s big plays (948 rec yds). The late surge—wins by average margin of 5.5 points—convinced the committee, edging out teams like Miami despite the losses. As Venables said post-LSU: “We believed when nobody else did.”
Head-to-Head History: Sooners Own the Tide… Lately
This marks the ninth meeting between these blue-bloods (Oklahoma leads 5-2-1 overall, 2-0 in Norman), but the series has been feast-or-famine: Bama’s early dominance, OU’s mid-2000s surge, and a modern playoff twist. No program has more CFP trips (Bama: 9; OU: 5), but the Sooners seek their first playoff win (0-4 previously).
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