Alabama football staged a miraculous come-from-behind win over Oklahoma on Friday night in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
Trailing 17-0 and left for dead, the Crimson Tide scored 27 unanswered points en route to a 34-24 win to advance to the Rose Bowl quarterfinal in Pasadena against Indiana.
It was a perfect microcosm of the Alabama season: often doubted, but, to steal Oklahoma's mantra, this team has been hard to kill.
The most important observations from Alabama's CFP win over Oklahoma
1. Alabama showed its resiliency once again
As it has done so often this season, Alabama showed its resiliency in critical moments. This team has taken on the personality of Kalen DeBoer's quiet confidence. It never thinks it is out of the fight.
Lesser teams would have folded down 17-0 and getting thoroughly dominated for the first 19 minutes of game time. With the weight of the world bearing down on them - and a raucous crowd in Norman reaching a fever-pitch - the Crimson Tide responded.
Alabama didn't just deliver a simple counterpunch; it hit Oklahoma with a plethora of haymakers on the way to 27 consecutive points.
It just took a few plays to get rolling, several of which were made by a true freshman in his breakout performance:
2. Lotzeir Brooks had his coming out party in the CFP
If you have followed our coverage this season, you've seen how many times we've written "Lotzeir Brooks scores a TD" in our bold predictions. He has had a good freshman season, but a breakout has always felt on the horizon. He picked a good time for it on Friday night.
Brooks made a pivotal play for Alabama's first first down of the game. Trailing 17-0 and facing a 3rd-and-5, Brooks caught a pass down the field from Ty Simpson for 29 yards and a first down. He finished off the drive with his first touchdown reception of the season on a 4th-and-2 to give the Crimson Tide its first breath of life.
Brooks caught a second touchdown pass in the third quarter to give Alabama the lead for good with an impressive grab in the endzone. Brooks was Alabama's leading receiver on the day with five receptions for 79 yards and the two touchdowns.
3. Ty Simpson looked like Ty Simpson again
After struggling the last few weeks, Ty Simpson looked like the QB who, in the middle of the season, was the Heisman frontrunner and was garnering serious consideration for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It wasn't Simpson's best performance of the year by any means, but given the situation, and given the quality of the defense, it was an excellent game from the Tide's redshirt junior QB. And it could have been better if it weren't for a plethora of drops by his receivers.
But Simpson avoided the critical turnovers that plagued Alabama in the regular-season meeting. He was 18-of-29 for 232 yards and two touchdowns in the Alabama victory.
He also hit a couple of big throws down the field. One to Brooks for the touchdown to give the Crimson Tide the lead, and then later in the fourth quarter to Isaiah Horton, which led to the Daniel Hill touchdown that gave Alabama a two-score cushion.
This version of Simpson can lead Alabama far. If he can keep getting help from the guys around him - and his play caller - then the sky is the limit.
4. Kane Wommack's defensive adjustments won the game
Alabama's defense was on its heels early in the game. Through three drives, Oklahoma scored 17 points and racked up 181 yards of offense - just 25 yards less than the Sooners picked up in the entirety of the regular season matchup.
Kane Wommack wanted to play softer zone coverage and force everything underneath. The only way Oklahoma's offense had put up points in recent weeks was with explosive plays, and Wommack was determined not to give any up.
But Mateer was dicing the Crimson Tide up. It forced Wommack to get more aggressive, and it paid off. Alabama sacked Mateer five times and only allowed seven more points the rest of the game.
Wommack's adjustments were pivotal, and it is continued evidence of his growth as a coordinator. He was too stubborn at times last season, sticking with his gameplan. Sometimes you get thrown a curveball, and you have to adjust. The best always do. Wommack did just that against Oklahoma.
5. Special Teams were a surprising advantage for Alabama
It felt like the biggest mismatch in this game was Oklahoma's special teams against Alabama. It was a major problem for the Crimson Tide in the regular-season loss. The Sooners have the Lou Groza winner at kicker in Tate Sandell, and Alabama's Conor Talty has been shaky all year.
That's not to mention the field position issues Alabama had against Georgia two weeks ago. Or the fumble on a punt return against Oklahoma a month ago.
But the script flipped entirely in the playoff matchup. Alabama held a significant advantage in special teams. Oklahoma's punter dropped the ball, leading to a blocked punt by Tim Keenan. The reliable Sandell missed two field goals, including a chip-shot from 36 yards away.
The oft-criticized Talty hit both of his field goal attempts.
Alabama's major advantage on special teams was completely unexpected, but certainly welcomed.