NORMAN, Okla. — The biggest party on the prairie went off without a hitch. Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead against Alabamaand somewhere in the bowels of Memorial Stadium, superstar rapper 50 Cent was warming up for his surprise appearance to perform the Sooners' anthem in the fourth quarter.
What followed was chaos, a comedy of Oklahoma's self-inflicted wounds and the unmistakable calm of an Alabama team that refused to panic on the road.
In just two quarters, the Tide crashed the playoff party, flipped the script and even stole the playlist.
“We didn't expect 50 Cent to show up, but the crazy thing is we always listen to 'Many Men' on Fridays, so we definitely got some juice,” the Alabama linebacker said. Deontae Lawson.
By the time 50 Cent performed, Alabama had scored 27 unanswered points. en route to a 34-24 victory. They also had five sacks, a blocked punt and a pick six. As the song “Many Men” echoed through the stadium – Oklahoma's rallying cry in the fourth quarter – Alabama players danced on the field as a rapper stood near the goal line and sang into a microphone.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's “Black Hoodie of Death” has worked his magic again. He is now 4-0 on the road against top 10 teams. Even Oklahoma's “Hard to Kill” mantra, emblazoned on 50 Cent's black hoodie, suddenly belonged to patrons.
This was supposed to be an OU moment. The years of playoff disappointment should have ended, but instead they continued with a disastrous choke blow. which dropped them to 0-5 all-time in CFP history.. The Sooners find themselves on the wrong side of history once again. The two biggest wins in playoff history (both by 17 points) now belong to rival Oklahoma: Georgia in 2017 and in Alabama on Friday night.
How did this happen? As usual in Alabama: The tide didn't blink. They have struggled on the road in the past, having won every real road game since their Week 1 disaster in Floridaincluding a Georgia thriller earlier in the season. A blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC championship game two weeks ago only added to the doubt among fans, the media and perhaps even opponents. Alabama erased it again.
“I think we can thank you guys for that,” Alabama quarterback. Ty Simpson told reporters in Norman. “You kind of wrote us off, so appreciate it.”
“There’s a lot of trust within our group,” DeBoer said. “We can see the doubters, we can see the naysayers and still continue to play our game. This group is pretty close-knit and no one has ever pointed fingers.”
Call it resilience. Call it coaching. Call it Alabama, being Alabama.
The Tide's last two wins came despite being outgained by more than 100 yards. They turned bad statistics into good fortune, turning opponents' mistakes into points with ruthless efficiency.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack went against the grain in trying to stop the Sooners' suddenly potent offense. He sealed the edges, left a zone for man coverage, and found the lane to eliminate the dangerous crossing and drag routes that doomed Alabama in the middle of the field for much of the first half.
The result was stellar as OU managed just 70 yards on five possessions to build a 17-0 lead.
Surpassed but not surpassed
“Our administrators have been asking for this,” Wommack said. “By the time we got to the second half, they wanted it, and that’s what you want, right? You want kids who are fighters who want the ball in their court. They want to be challenged. They want to challenge people and our players won that game. They won the game through sheer will.”
By the time the Sooners took a 17-0 lead, Alabama had only managed 12 yards, but then Simpson led the offense down the field with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to get the offense going. Freshman phenomenon Lotzeir Brooks scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 10-yard run.
In a few minutes, Tim Cake blocked a failed punt attempt that the Tide turned into a field goal to bring the score closer. Then just before the break came a blow that drained the energy from Norman: Zabien BrownChoice six.
John Mather Looks like he was waiting for the exit. His receiver stood upright. Brown stepped up, intercepted a pass and ran 50 yards down the sideline. The 17-point hole disappeared in an instant. Obviously, it was Alabama in the middle of the season.
Redemption from Atlanta
“I didn't feel the same determination in Atlanta that I felt here tonight,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “… Even when the score was 17-0, talking to Ty on the headphones, talking to some of the coaches, I felt like there was faith that the defense would play and no one would give up.”
Grubb said Alabama coaches confronted the Tide because of their sluggish performance two weeks ago. Trailing by double digits doesn't mean the end is near, as it did a year ago here in the 24-3 blowout loss to Oklahoma or that 28-7 loss to Georgia in Atlanta.
“What was behind us was beyond our control, but greatness lies in the future,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer quietly criticized these rumors
Indeed, many questioned whether Alabama deserved to become the first three-loss CFP team. On Friday night, the Tide became the first road team ever to win the playoffs.
Credit goes to DeBoer. His 20-5 record against ranked opponents is one of the best ever. He's also an incredible 4-0 against top-10 teams in real road games, a record that would make even his legendary predecessor Nick Saban applaud.
Now I wonder what the future holds for DeBoer. He may be asked again Michiganpotential persecution, but he probably won't leave the Crimson Tide – even if that's his hidden desire. He's busy at least through the New Year coaching Alabama against No. 1. Indiana at the historic Rose Bowl. Quarterfinals of the tournament College football The playoffs await the Tide.
That won't stop the speculation, although some clarity on Michigan's plans is clearly on the horizon. Is Michigan willing to wait to pursue DeBoer and give ground until the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2? What happens if DeBoer beats Indiana?
These are questions that only athletics director Ward Manuel can answer. Or maybe DeBoer and boss Greg Byrne can stop talking by agreeing to a new contract in Alabama next week.
In a sport that has been turned on its head in the NIL era, it's perhaps only fitting that the quarterfinal game between Alabama and Indiana has more to do with Indiana than Alabama tradition.
DeBoer coordinated one of the most prolific offenses in Indiana history in 2019, leading to his move to an FBS head coaching job on the West Coast and then landing at Alabama. Indiana's Curt Cignetti, of course, was on Saban's first staff at Alabama in the late 2000s. Both DeBoer and Cignetti began their careers at the lower levels of NCAA football in the NAIA and Division II, respectively, and both won 80 percent of their games during that time.
Alabama opens this week as an underdog against the Hoosiers, something that seemed impossible just a year or two ago, but the sport is changing.
Who knew college football's new coaching bastion would be Indiana?
Then again, who knew Alabama would ruin Oklahoma's perfect night?
Confidence certainly isn't an issue for the Tide. The same team polled by critics in Atlanta is still the first team in SEC history to win four straight games against ranked opponents. Again, this is the same team that lost to a bad Florida State team in Week 1.
At this point, Alabama isn't done winning or giving mantras the way they did here in front of the Sooners and 50 Cent.
“What did Kobe say?” Simpson suggested. “We're not done yet. That's all I can say.”
