After Alabama, Who's Up and Who's Down in the Oklahoma Stock Report?

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Oklahoma got big plays in bunches and built a double-digit lead in the first half, but that slipped away in the third quarter.

Then, kicker Tate Sandell and an unbending Sooner defense saved the day for OU.

Did they also save the Sooners' chances of returning to the College Football Playoff?

No. 4-ranked Alabama (8-2 overall, 6-1 SEC) rallied on Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but Sandell kicked three field goals and the OU defense came up with stop after stop as the Sooners shocked the Crimson Tide for the second year in a row and ended Bama's unbeaten conference record.

A crowd of 100,077 — officially the fourth-largest ever to watch an Oklahoma football game — ramped up the electricity, but the Sooners withdstood the storm.

Sandell's third field goal allowed OU to retake a 23-21 lead early in the fourth quarter — a lead they held to the end. The Sooners got a final stop in the closing seconds as linebacker Kip Lewis helped end a threatening Alabama possession, which started at the Bama 6-yard line, with a sack.

After a 14-yard completion on third-and-21, Ty Simpson's final throw on fourth-and-6 fell incomplete.

The No. 11 Sooners (8-2, 4-2 SEC) went into their open date last week in strong position to make a return to the CFP, contingent on winning their final three games. Now the Sooners have doubled their conference win total from their first SEC campaign last year, and are one-third of the way through the goal they set for the fourth quarter of the season.

If OU holds serve at home over the next two weeks against Missouri and LSU, they will most assuredly land a spot in the 12-team playoff with a pair of victories over the Tigers and the Tigers.

Here is the OU stock report following Saturday’s game:

DOWN: R Mason Thomas

He was unable to play against the Tide, and the OU defense was exposed in a couple of areas. His presence might have helped. His pass rush surely would have made a difference, particularly on Bama's final drive. As it was, Lewis' sack and pressure from the entire front seven was enough to gut out the win.

DOWN: QB John Mateer

Mateer struggled to find open receivers against the Crimson Tide secondary. Not that there weren’t any.

In the fourth quarter, with OU needing to convert and hold onto a 23-21 lead, Mateer never saw Jaren Kanak wide open over the middle for what would have been an easy first down. Instead, he panicked, rolled out and threw wild to Kanak — a throw that was almost picked off.

Mateer ended that drive with an intentional grounding penalty.

Mateer finished 15-of-23 for 138 yards passing, and ran 10 times for 23 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

UP: WR Isaiah Sategna

With Mateer struggling to find receivers (or perhaps his confidence), nobody had a big day in the receiving corps. Sategna led the group with four catches for 26 yards, and Jer’Michael Carter had 36 yards on four receptions.

But Sategna also delivered as a punt returner, bringing Bama’s first punt back 42 yards to help set up a field goal and a 3-0 OU lead.

DOWN: Covering the TE

Whether it was one clutch third-down throw after another or a surprise big-play on first down or just a check down on a Ty Simpson rollout, Oklahoma’s defense — both safeties and linebackers were guilty — simply refused to attach themselves to a Bama tight end.

The net result was seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown between Josh Cuevas and Kaleb Edwards.

UP: PK Tate Sandell

Sandell, the national kicker of the week two weeks ago after making three 50-yarders at Tennessee, opened Saturday’s action with a 25-yard chipshot in the first quarter. That broke Gabe Brkic’s school record with his 18th consecutive successful field goal.

Then he opened the third quarter with a 52-yard bomb right down the middle, extending the streak to 19 in a row.

That streak reached 20 early in the fourth quarter when he knocked through a 24-yarder after another Bama turnover.

He made it 21 straight early in the fourth with a 24-yarder that gave OU a 23-21 lead.

UP: CB Eli Bowen

After three-and-outs on Alabama's first two offensive possessions, Bowen stymied the third with his second interception in as many games, and then did himself one better when he returned it 87 yards for a touchdown.

It was the eighth-longest INT runback in school history. That came on the heels of R Mason Thomas' 71-yard fumble return at Tennessee two weeks ago, which was the longest in OU annals.

Bowen's coverage on Bama star wideout Ryan Williams was also key. After limited Williams big-time in last year's victory, Bowen helped lock down Williams for just three catches for 45 yards this time.

DOWN, then UP: LB Sammy Omosigho

Omosigho’s eyes wandered into the backfield instead of staying with his man, which resulted in a 25-yard completion to kick start Alabama’s first scoring drive in the first quarter.

But Omosigho made up for it when he recovered a fumble by Ryan Williams on a punt return, setting up John Mateer's 20-yard touchdown run.

DOWN: RB Xavier Robinson

Robinson, who rushed for 106 yards against the Tide in Norman last year, carried just 10 times for 34 yards this time, and also caught two passes for 8 yards.

Robinson spent time in the injury tent as well, but came back in the game, although he wasn’t as effective.

Tory Blaylock (four carries, 1 yard) also couldn’t get anything going against the Bama defense.

UP: DE Taylor Wein

With no R Mason Thomas, Wein was asked to do just a little bit more on Saturday. He responded with a devastating sack of Ty Simpson late in the third quarter, forcing a fumble that Kendal Daniels recovered, setting up Sandell’s third field goal.

DOWN: WR Deion Burks

In addition to being a non-factor in the passing game — just two catches for 19 yards, and both of those came on the Sooners’ opening drive — he was a liability as a blocker, especially on a couple of early screen passes.