Kalen DeBoer's Alabama football team showed its resolve and mental fortitude on Friday night against Oklahoma in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
Things couldn't have started worse, with Oklahoma breaking out to a 181-12 advantage in total yardage and a 17-0 lead on the scoreboard. The same issues that plagued the Crimson Tide two weeks ago in Atlanta were prevalent again in Norman, and uncomfortable questions were being raised.
And then the switch flipped. Alabama scored 27 unanswered points from there and earned a 34-24 win over Oklahoma to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl with a date against No. 1 Indiana.
A second straight embarrassing defeat to end the season would have brought heat toward DeBoer. Instead, Alabama never waved and fought back, finally delivering the counter punches they couldn't against Georgia.
DeBoer was justifiably fired up about his team's ability to bounce back in the post game.
“Our guys, they’ve been in it all year long, and I’m just proud of the fight,” DeBoer said to Holly Rowe after the game. “I know I’m going to get that every single time we step on the football field. We had to create our own breaks a little bit. We knew it was going to be a fist fight, we knew it was going to be a physical game, but you’ve just got to keep playing.”
Kalen DeBoer was proud of Alabama's fight in comeback win over Oklahoma
Alabama has faced adversity throughout the season, and it has responded countless times. Think back to the comeback win over South Carolina as a good example, even if it was against an under .500 team. Those moments matter. Because the Crimson Tide didn't blink with their backs against the wall.
In the have to have it moments, Alabama has delivered more than it hasn't. This season hasn't been perfect by any stretch, but this was an impressive bounce-back by this team.
Everything went wrong early in the game. It felt like the whole world was against them. Everyone around the country was firing off the "Alabama shouldn't be in the CFP" takes, and the Oklahoma fans were at a fever-pitch inside the stadium.
Lesser teams would have folded.
Alabama may not be a championship-worthy football team. But they certainly have the mentality of a championship team. They didn't fold on the biggest stage, and they'll live to fight another day.