The new and improved College Football Playoff kicks off tonight with the ninth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveling to Norman, OK, to take on the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
The game will air on ABC and ESPN, with the kickoff scheduled for 8 PM EST (7 PM CST).
For Oklahoma, this is their first appearance in the College Football Playoff since 2019, when Heisman trophy-winning quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray piloted three straight playoff-contending rosters.
Alabama has more CFP appearances than any other team in the nation and will be making its ninth run at a National Championship in the last 12 seasons.
However, both teams will be making their debut appearance in the new 12-team format.
The Crimson Tide and the Sooners will inaugurate the CFP and open up a four-game slate this weekend.
Miami and Texas A&M have the next matchup just down the road from Norman in College Station, TX, at 12 PM EST Saturday.
The CFP stays in SEC country with a trip to Oxford, MS, for a rematch between the Tulane Green Wave and the Ole Miss Rebels at 3:30.
The nightcap features the hotly debated matchup between the third seed in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks, and the second Group of Five team to earn a playoff berth, the James Madison University Dukes.
Alabama vs Oklahoma has the closest point spread of any of the four contests and should be a good one as the Crimson Tide looks to avenge their early November loss.
What Happened In Alabama’s First Meeting With Oklahoma
The first game between these two teams was billed as a revenge spot for the Crimson Tide.
Last season, it was a December loss to a struggling Sooners team that kept Jalen Milroe’s Alabama team from making a playoff appearance.
This time around, the Crimson Tide were winners of eight straight after losing in embarrassing fashion in Week 1.
Those eight wins included four in a row over ranked opponents by the likes of Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.
Oklahoma itself was coming off a ranked win over Tennessee. The Sooners lost two of three in a mid-season skid that started with a loss in the Red River Rivalry game to the Texas Longhorns and ended with a home loss to the Rebels.
The stage was set for a four vs 11 matchup in Tuscaloosa, AL.
The Tide went down 10-0 in the first quarter after quarterback Ty Simpson threw his first pick-six of the season to sophomore defensive back Eli Bowen.
A one-yard touchdown run capped off a 12-play, 76-yard response from Alabama.
The very next drive, Alabama’s defense forced a three-and-out, but star wide receiver Ryan Williams fumbled on the punt return, setting the Sooners up deep in Tide territory.
Two plays later, Oklahoma expanded its lead. The Tide once again responded, but a missed field goal as time expired in the first half sent the Sooners to the locker room with a 17-14 lead.
The second half was a defensive struggle, but turnovers continued to kill the Tide.
Alabama scored on its first drive and took a 21-20 lead into the fourth quarter. But once again, a fumble inside of Alabama’s 30-yard line set the Sooners up to respond with a go-ahead field goal to bring the score to 23-21.
Alabama’s six-minute drive stalled at midfield, and the Sooners held on to get the win at Bryant Denny Stadium after winning the turnover battle 3-0.
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