Live Updates From Oklahoma's College Football Playoff Matchup Against Alabama

The Sooners host Alabama for the program's first-ever home College Football Playoff game on Friday night.

Oklahoma's players take the field at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Sooners on SI offers real-time observations from Oklahoma Memorial Stadium throughout Friday’s College Football Playoff matchup between OU and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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1:49 First Quarter

First big mistake goes to Oklahoma: Eddy Pierre-Louis is flagged for a late hit/unsportsmanlike conduct on the sideline, wiping out a short gain by Tory Blaylock.

Third-down throw comes up short, and Sooners will kick a 51-yard field goal by Tate Sandell.

It’s good, of course, and with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter, OU leads Bama 10-0.

— Hoover

4:00 First Quarter

Another Bama three-and out.

Kip Lewis dropped Ty Simpson for an 8-yard loss on first down, and Simpson got that back with an 8-yard completion to TE Josh Cuevas. But before the third down snap, Bama needs a timeout.

Simpson escapes a sack attempt by Owen Heinecke in the end zone and throws incomplete.

Need to credit Sandell and Trystan Haynes for starting this defensive possession right for Oklahoma: Sandell’s kickoff landed at the 1, and Haynes dropped Lotzeir Brooks after a meager 13-yard return.

— Hoover

5:29 First Quarter

In Tuscaloosa, Oklahoma scored 17 points off turnovers. 

OU’s first scoring drive, a field goal, was also aided by a big Isaiah Sategna punt return. 

So essentially, the offense scored three of its 23 points by itself. 

Ben Arbuckle’s unit has seven on the board two drives in. Xavier Robinson looks fresh The crowd is ready to explode on this next possession. 

— Chapman 

5:29 First Quarter

Bama let a huge hole in behind a gap in the defensive line, and Mateer took advantage of it with a quick check down to Xavier Robsinon, who caught it and spun away from a tackler and up the sideline for a 17-yard gain on third-and-10.

On the next play, Mateer escaped traffic at the line of scrimmage and scooted into the end zone for a Sooner touchdown. Sandell makes it 7-0.

Another efficient drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:34 off the clock.

— Hoover

7:39 First Quarter

John Mateer had Javonnie Gibson wide open for a touchdown, but saw him late, then kind of panicked his throw and overthrew him by six feet.

Mateer saves the drive with a scramble for a first down, however, to the Bama 25. Tate Sandell territory, to be sure, though Arbuckle no doubt wants a touchdown here.

— Hoover

9:14 First Quarter

And it’s a quick three-and-out for Bama as R Mason Thomas hammers Daniel Hill for a 1-yard gain and Ty Simpson’s third down throw is batted down by Courtland Guillory.

OU football at the Sooners’ 41.

— Hoover

10:30 First Quarter

Oklahoma’s starters on defense:

Wein — Dam. Williams — Halton — Thomas 

Daniels — Kip Lewis — Heinecke 

Guillory — Spears-Jennings — P. Bowen — E. Bowen

— Chapman 

10:37 First Quarter

Not an ideal start for the Oklahoma offense, but not bad all in all. OU picked up two first downs and took 4 1/2 minutes off the clock and with a 32-yard punt turns the football over to the defense at the Bama 12. That second-and-10 run was an odd call, and Tory Blaylock slipped on John Mateer’s third-down dump-off throw, but he wouldn’t have got the first down on third-and-10 anyway. 

— Hoover

15:00 First Quarter

Oklahoma’s starters on offense

Fasusi — Pierre-Louis — Nwaiwu — Fodje — Simmons 

Sategna — Burks — Kanak — Gibson

Mateer — Blaylock

— Chapman 

One minute until kickoff

Alabama won the toss.

Oklahoma’s offense is up first.

— Chapman

Three minutes until kickoff

Toby Rowland just finished his pregame hype video by cutting in with “LIVE…From the Palace on the Prairie …” live from the radio booth.

Well done, T-Row.

This place feels like it's about to combust.

— Hoover

27 minutes to kickoff 

Taylor Wein, Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton — and yes, R Mason Thomas — are announced as the starting defensive line for OU.

You can imagine, the last one got quite the ovation.

— Hoover

47 minutes until kickoff

Oklahoma’s starting offensive line per warmups from left-to-right:

Fasusi — Pierre-Louis — Nwaiwu — Fodje — Simmons

— Chapman

51 minutes to kickoff

It’s official: “Who U Wit” made it through one more full season as the Sooners’ stretching song.

May 2026 bring something new and fresh.

— Hoover

58 minutes until kickoff

With Maikklula ruled out, Gunnar Allen is snapping to Michael Hawkins Jr. as the second-team center and Ryan Fodje is snapping to Whitt Newbauer as the third-team center. 

It remains to be seen if it would be Allen or Fodje who gets the call if Nwaiwu has to miss a snap.

— Chapman 

72 minutes until kickoff

We’ve had the privilege of covering some big games in Norman, but it’s hard to remember the city buzzing like this before kickoff. 

The vibes were high walking through the tailgates before getting to the stadium, and the expectation is that the fans in the stadium are going to bring the heat tonight. 

Unfortunately for Oklahoma, center Jake Maikkula has been ruled out of tonight's contest.

Sooners On SI has myself, John Hoover and Ryan Aber up in the press box for this contest and Carson Field is on the field shooting photos. 

Stick with us as we give all of our observations throughout tonight’s massive matchup. 

— Chapman