It's College Football Playoff week. After a much-needed week to reset and get healthy, Alabama is preparing in earnest for Friday night's playoff matchup against a familiar opponent.
The Crimson Tide will travel to Norman for a rematch against Oklahoma. A month ago, turnovers plagued Alabama in a two-point home loss to the Sooners in Tuscaloosa. Oklahoma players celebrating on Saban Field in the aftermath of the upset win is something that should help fuel Alabama as it prepares for this matchup.
Brent Venables has had Kalen DeBoer's number in their two meetings. Oklahoma sprung the upset of Alabama in Norman a year ago. That loss was the final nail in the Tide's coffin as they missed the College Football Playoff as a result. A year later and Alabama will look to avoid letting Oklahoma once again end its season.
The Crimson Tide has had to endure some unnecessary distractions in the lead-up to this game. DeBoer has been listed far and wide as the top candidate for the Michigan head coaching job. He released a statement on Sunday afternoon denying interest in any other job, reaffirming his commitment to Alabama.
That will hopefully allow everyone to focus on the task at hand, which is beating Oklahoma and advancing to the Rose Bowl quarterfinal on New Year's Day against Indiana.
How to watch No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma in CFP
- Date: Friday, December 19th
- Time: 7:00 pm C.T.
- Venue: Memorial Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ABC
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Alabama record: 10-3
- Oklahoma record: 10-2
What are the betting odds for Alabama vs. Oklahoma?
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread: Alabama -1.5
Over/Under: 40.5
Moneyline: Alabama -118/Oklahoma -102
Injury reports for Alabama and Oklahoma
Alabama:
Will be updated when the initial availability reports release this week
- LB Jah-Marien Latham: OUT
- DL Jeremiah Beaman: OUT
Oklahoma:
TBD based on forthcoming availability reports.
Who are the announcers for Alabama vs. Oklahoma?
College GameDay will be in town in Norman on Friday, and Alabama/Oklahoma will get ESPN/ABC's A-Team as the standalone playoff game on Friday night. Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter), and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) will be on the call.
What will the weather be like for Alabama football on Saturday?
Frigid temperatures at the beginning of the week should give way to some nice football weather on Friday night in Norman. The weather is currently expected to be clear with the highs for the day in the upper 50s. Temps are likely to be in the mid-to-high 40s to low 50s during the game. No real threat of rain, so the weather should have a minimal impact.
Alabama vs. Oklahoma series history
Oklahoma is one of the few programs that have had the upper hand in head-to-head meetings with Alabama. The programs have only met eight times in total, but the Sooners hold a 5-2-1 record, including a 2-0 mark against the Crimson Tide since joining the SEC.
Alabama won the first meeting back in the 1963 Orange Bowl, 17-0. The only other win for the Crimson Tide in the series came in the 2018 Orange Bowl, which served as a College Football Playoff semifinal. Alabama won 45-34 to advance to the National Championship Game.