Germie Bernard Calls Fourth Quarter Reception a Dream Come True

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 9 Alabama went into Norman and walked out with a College Football Playoff victory over No. 8 Oklahoma to advance to a Rose Bowl matchup against No. 1 Indiana. The victory was monstrous as it silenced the noise around the Crimson Tide program, but more importantly the Alabama offense found the competitive confidence that had been shaken down the stretch of the 2025 season.

No play exemplified Alabama's renewed offensive confidence more than Ty Simpson's 24-yard fourth quarter completion to wide receiver Germie Bernard to set up the Crimson Tide's final offensive touchdown. Simpson saw Bernard in one-on-one coverage and opted for a downfield shot instead of simply handing the ball off the continue working the clock late in the game.

"The first thing I think of was just exactly what you said," Ryan Grubb said. "The confidence of him throwing the football. Ty had a couple different options on that play, he didn't have to take that throw to Germie. The fact that he chose to do that and put the ball down the field in play like that versus man coverage was something that I thought of was just a good sign of things to come - that those two were on the same page. The fact that he didn't overshoot the ball, he underthrew it, probably obviously more than he intended, but that Germ made the play for him. The other part that I thought showed how in-tune to the football game Ty was. That was their backup corner. We had talked about replacement players getting in there, and he went right at him. So I just thought it showed a lot of savvy on Ty's part."

"I've made a few cool catches in my career, but that definitely is at the top. To be able to do that in a critical game in a critical moment is something you dream for. For that to come true is really, really cool."

-Germie Bernard on his big reception against Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/pzMeOoCsS5
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) December 27, 2025

Bernard's biggest and final reception of the game gave him three catches for 40 yards in the first round College Football Playoff game, set up the Crimson Tide on the Sooners' 5-yard line and gained the attention of a Hall of Fame receiver known for making contested catches; Randy Moss.

Germie Bernard received a pair of “You Got Mossed!” gloves from Randy Moss and ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown for his insane catch versus Oklahoma: pic.twitter.com/N4I9SK40SP
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) December 27, 2025

Bernard posted on social media gloves that Moss had sent him with his Monday Nigh Football catchphrase "You got Mossed" printed on the hands and was featured in the broadcast's traditional segment showcasing the contested catches of the week.

"It was a dope moment," Bernard said. "I didn't expect that to come. After we lifted the other day, Ty was like, 'We've got a present for Unc here.' I was like, 'What's the present?' We just got done lifting, we were all sweaty and stuff, and he presented me with the gloves, so it was cool to share that moment with my teammates."

Simpson's downfield shot was his fourth-longest completion of the night, and evidence of a point of emphasis for the Crimson Tide. The Alabama offense had struggled with drops and downfield passing throughout the second half of the year, but completed five different passes of 20 or more yards against the Sooners.

"Yeah, we kind of harped on taking more downfield shots, preparing for the Oklahoma game," Bernard said. "We knew we were kind of missing that in our offense. We've got guys like Lotzeir Brooks and Isaiah Horton that make great plays down the field. That really helped us in our game and then that I was just one-on-one coverage. Ty, he's been playing good all night. He trusted me. It was just me going up to make a play, regardless of where the ball placement was. I knew I had to make a play in that critical moment. I couldn't let Ty down. He trusted me to throw that one-on-one ball, so I couldn't let him down in that moment."

The iconic catch came to fruition after Alabama's offensive leaders saw a similar look earlier in the game. The Crimson Tide was nursing a three-point lead with just under nine minutes remaining, and instead of milking more clock by handing the ball off to Danile Hill, Simpson opted to take the shot at a backup cornerback and set the team up for a touchdown to restretch the margin to two scores.

"Yeah, how could I forget that play. So it was an RPO-type of a play. There was a play before that, actually, we ran a similar type play. They had one-on-one with Ryan [Williams] going the other way. We came back to the sideline and we were like 'hey if we get another one-on-one chance, just hear me out'. Sure enough, same type, similar play, bringing motion in, had one-on-one. I knew the corner was who the corner was. I wanted to give Germ a chance. I knew the down-and-distance and where we were on the field. So I was like, 'Hey man, let's go get it,' and Germ made an outstanding play. Nothing I didn't expect him to do. I probably should've thrown him a better ball, but big time players make big time plays in big time games."

The Crimson Tide veteran receiver has been the program's go-to player in the passing game this season and said he's had several highlights in his career, but none as impressive as his reception in Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium.

"I've made a few cool catches in my career, but that definitely is at the top," Bernard said. "To be able to do that in a critical game in a critical moment is something you dream for. For that to come true is really, really cool."