What X-Factors Could Shape Oklahoma’s CFP Contest Against Alabama?

Playoff Experience

Sixth-year senior Major Melson is Oklahoma’s oldest player, and he wasn’t even on the OU roster the last time the Sooners made the College Football Playoff. He walked on the following year in 2020. In fact, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts was the quarterback and fellow six-year NFL veterans CeeDee Lamb, Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore were still in college when OU got steamrolled by LSU in Atlanta. Since then, Alabama has played in three CFPs, plus this year’s. A total of 23 current Bama players played in games for the 2023 Tide playoff team, and seven of them — DL Tim Keenan, LB Deontae Lawson, TE Danny Lewis, LB Justin Jefferson, DB Bray Hubbard, WR Jalen Hale and RB Daniel Hill, all but one who are big-time contributors today — played in the CFP semifinal loss to Michigan. That big-game experience could be a huge difference for the Crimson Tide.

— John E. Hoover

Let it Rip

Oklahoma played like a team with everything to lose against Missouri and LSU. Sure, the Sooners had key injuries on the offensive side of the ball that limited what Ben Arbuckle could call, but OU still looked like a team well aware it just needed to survive eight quarters to get to the College Football Playoff. Well, the CFP is here and the Sooners are hosting. Oklahoma doesn’t need to suddenly take 15 deep shots and change its stripes, but the offense and the entire team need to play like they’ve got nothing else to lose, just as they did in Knoxville and Tuscaloosa, and by the end of the night the Sooners might just be smelling roses.

— Ryan Chapman

Pressure on Simpson

When he has time, Ty Simpson can be one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Simpson threw for 2,461 yards, 24 touchdowns and only one pick in his first nine games of 2025. Since then — in Alabama’s final three regular season games and the SEC Championship Game — Simpson has logged just 807 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions on 58.7 percent passing. Simpson was sacked three or more times in each of his last three games against SEC opponents (OU, Auburn and Georgia). When the Sooners beat Alabama 23-21 on Nov. 15, they sacked Simpson four times. He threw for 326 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw a pick six and had another interception called back, due to a defensive penalty. The Sooners applied the pressure in the regular season, and they’ll need to do it again in the CFP.

— Carson Field

Limit the Big Play

Alabama had 406 total yards against the Sooners on Nov. 15. The total was the fifth-most the Crimson Tide have posted this season and the third-most allowed by Oklahoma. More than half of those yards — 240 — came on 11 plays where Alabama gained 15 or more yards. Only one of those was a running play. The Sooners don’t have to completely eliminate those big plays, but if they can limit quarterback Ty Simpson’s time to work, and keep star receivers Germie Barnard and Ryan Williams as well as keeping tight end Jose Cuevas from breaking loose, the Crimson Tide’s path to victory becomes much more narrow. Oklahoma could use more game-changing turnovers but key secondary pieces like Eli Bowen, Robert Spears-Jennings and more will need to be strong outside of those opportunities as well.

— Ryan Aber

Biggest Home Game in School History

It’s okay to admit it — this is the biggest home game in school history. With respect to numerous OU/Nebraska games or 2008 Tech/OU, this game is actually for the privilege of continuing to play for a national championship. Regular season games are important — those examples certainly were — but the stars aligning for a Sooner home game of this magnitude should provide the juice needed to put the Tide away a second time. The atmosphere looks to be unlike any other. Ask yourself, if the shoe were on the other foot, would you be confident in an Oklahoma win?

— Brady Trantham

Playoff Experience

Let it Rip

Read More Oklahoma Football

Pressure on Simpson

Limit the Big Play

Biggest Home Game in School History