NORMAN, Okla. -- Alabama wasn't ready to do this last year. Or earlier this year. Or even two weeks ago in Atlanta. But down by 17 points in a road College Football Playoff game, with its season in jeopardy, something finally clicked.
The No. 9 Crimson Tide had what it took to match the biggest comeback in CFP history, rallying with 27 consecutive points to stun No. 8 Oklahoma 34-24 on Friday in a first-round rematch that might have signaled a long-awaited breakthrough.
The Tide punched their ticket to a Rose Bowl quarterfinal against No. 1 Indiana by overcoming a double-digit deficit for the first time under coach Kalen DeBoer. They snapped a streak of six consecutive losses when trailing by at least 10 points, including all three defeats this season, since DeBoer took over in 2024.
They had put themselves in this tough spot, opening their CFP run with one more SEC road game, by losing 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC championship game Dec. 6. Then, they fell behind fast yet again, down three scores within the first five minutes of the second quarter.
This time, though, quarterback Ty Simpson and his Crimson Tide teammates stuck to their plan and just kept chipping away.
"We always talk about the game is going to come back to us," DeBoer said. "We have too many good players. If you just keep fighting, you're going to force them to make a mistake, something's going to happen. Just keep coming after them, play after play, and the game's going to come back to you. And that's what happened tonight."
The Tide turned a dangerous deficit into a tied score with a rapid second-quarter sequence. Freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks got the rally started with a 29-yard gain on a third-and-5, then turned a fourth-down catch into a 10-yard touchdown by making two Sooner defenders miss.
Five plays later, Oklahoma punter Grayson Miller dropped the ball on a punt attempt, and Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan III came through with a block and recovery, helping cut the Oklahoma lead to 17-10 after Conor Talty's 35-yard field goal.
Then, it was Alabama's defense that delivered four plays later with cornerback Zabien Brown baiting Sooners quarterback John Mateer into a 50-yard pick-six. In less than five minutes, Bama went from on the brink to all the way back.
"Keep going," Simpson said. "That's kind of been our message all season."
The Tide did just that against a Sooners program that had notched 27 consecutive victories at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium when leading by double digits. College Football Playoffs teams were 1-28 all time when trailing by 17 or more points.
What made this Alabama team different? The Tide have been on a roller-coaster ride all season, beginning with a shocking 31-17 road loss at Florida State. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said they've been living with a win-or-go-home mentality and "supreme urgency" ever since.
The Tide fell behind 10-0 in a home loss to Oklahoma in November. They trailed 14-0 at halftime of the SEC title game. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said they didn't show the resolve necessary to get the job done. This time, though, they left no doubt.
"Our players won this game," Wommack said. "They won the game with sheer will."
Simpson kept the run going with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brooks early in the third quarter and sealed the win with a 35-yard touchdown drive following a short punt midway through the fourth quarter after the Sooners cut the lead back to 3.
When asked afterward what it meant to him to rally back after the SEC title game defeat, Simpson looked around a room of reporters and raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I guess we can thank you guys for that," Simpson said. "I mean, y'all kind of wrote us off in a sort of way. Appreciate that."
After nervously waiting to find out if they earned a spot in the College Football Playoff, DeBoer felt the two-week break after the Georgia loss was invaluable for getting players healthy and ready to go on a run. The message in the days after that loss was to keep things in perspective.
"Don't overthink it," DeBoer said. "It's a lot of guys doing a little bit better in everything they can control."
He saw confidence from Simpson and an encouraging level of calm on the sideline when the Tide trailed 17-0. If they could cut it to 17-10 before halftime, DeBoer liked their chances of clawing back. Once Brown stepped in front of Mateer's pass and raced past him for a game-changing takeaway, they were well on their way.
After it was over, Simpson ran off the field with a rose in his mouth. He and his squad are ready to play the underdog role yet again against top-ranked and undefeated Indiana.
"You've got a great team culture, you've got a bunch of fighters, a bunch of punchers," Wommack said. "That wasn't who we were a year ago."