The College Football Playoff is here.
Alabama will battle Oklahoma in Norman tonight to open the College Football Playoff. It's win or go home for both teams. The loser sees the winding road of the 2025 season come to a disappointing end. The winner will advance to face No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
Alabama has a lot to prove after getting soundly beaten two weeks ago by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The noise has been loud since then, with plenty around the country sounding off on the Crimson Tide's inclusion in the playoff, and the national media continuously trying to sow the seeds of discontent between Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama fanbase.
Alabama has a lot to prove. The team that reeled off four straight ranked wins from late September through October still exists. It's just been a while since we've seen them.
But Alabama has spent the last couple of weeks getting healthier. Key offensive starters like Jam Miller, Josh Cuevas, and Kam Dewberry should all return to action tonight against Oklahoma. There won't be any applicable excuses tonight if the Crimson Tide can't get the job done.
Betting Odds for Alabama vs. Oklahoma in the CFP
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 8am ET on Friday.
Spread: Alabama +1.5
Over/Under: 41.5
Moneyline: Alabama -104/Oklahoma -112
Predictions from the Bama Hammer Team
Oddsmakers view this game as effectively a toss-up. The odds shifted late in the week. Alabama opened at -1.5, but the odds flipped to Oklahoma -1.5 two days before kickoff.
Kalen DeBoer will look to get a Brent Venables-sized monkey off his back. Oklahoma blindsided Alabama a year ago in Norman, serving the Crimson Tide the loss that ultimately kept it out of the College Football Playoff.
A month ago, Oklahoma walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium and walked out with a 23-21 win. Alabama finished the game -3 in turnovers and suffered a two-point loss despite nearly doubling up the Sooners in total yardage.
We all think this game will be a toss-up. But we all also think that Alabama is the better team in this matchup. If Ty Simpson and the offense can find a rhythm and, most importantly, avoid the backbreaking turnovers that plagued them in the regular season matchup in Tuscaloosa, then Alabama should have enough to knock off Oklahoma, even on the road.
Picks:
John Mitchell: Alabama 20, Oklahoma 13
Josh Yourish: Alabama 23, Oklahoma 17
Ron Evans: Alabama 17, Oklahoma 16
Greg Bosworth: Alabama 21, Oklahoma 20
Dominic Giacobazzi: Alabama 30, Oklahoma 28