College Football Playoff First Round
No. 9 Alabama (10-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2)
Friday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET
Norman, Okla.
Consensus odds: Oklahoma -1.5, Total 41.5
Oklahoma and Alabama square off in the first round of the College Football Playoff, but the Southeastern Conference rivals need no introduction.
The eighth-ranked Sooners and ninth-ranked Crimson Tide meet Friday in Norman, Okla., in the opening game of the first-ever 12-team CFP bracket, but it’s the second time they’ve played in five weeks.
The winner will take on top-ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Oklahoma comes into the game with momentum, having won four consecutive games to close the regular season, including a 23-21 victory over Alabama on Nov. 15 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“I want our guys to be fully immersed in the moment,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “… The enormity of the challenge is real. We’re going to have to be an improved version of ourselves.”
Getting into the 12-team playoff settles as a pretty strong statement from two teams entering fall camp with questions — or at the very least, uncertainty — at quarterback and beyond.
The Sooners have been playing with no margin for error since the beginning of November, winning out after an Oct. 25 loss to Ole Miss.
Alabama has struggled some beginning with the meeting against Oklahoma, dropping both that game and the SEC championship game to Georgia, 28-7, and going down to the wire before beating Auburn 27-20.
The Crimson Tide also have been dealing with speculation over Kalen DeBoer and his future at the school after the coach was mentioned prominently regarding the open Michigan job. DeBoer said he hadn’t talked to anyone about another job and didn’t plan to.
“Our guys, if there’s any distraction, I haven’t seen it, haven’t felt it,” DeBoer said. “And so, I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled whatever noise that’s out there.”
Oklahoma is in the CFP for the first time since 2019 and is looking for its first playoff victory after losing in the semifinals in each of its four appearances in the four-team playoff era.
The Crimson Tide are in the playoff for the ninth time and the first time since 2023. Alabama is 9-5 in CFP games and emerged as champion in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
FILM-ROOM FOCUS: A matchup between Oklahoma’s secondary and Alabama’s wide receivers highlights the elite position group crossover on Friday night.
Sooners cornerback Eli Bowen has two interceptions over the past three games, including an 87-yard pick-six against the Crimson Tide. Germie Bernard leads the Crimson Tide with 57 catches for 762 yards and seven touchdowns.
Bowen said beyond the one-on-one matchups, he’s expecting a better showing from the OU defense.
“We caused turnovers, which saved us. We didn’t have a highly detailed and executed game from the defensive side,” Bowen said. “I feel like we’re focusing on fixing those mistakes and having a better game overall instead of just the matchup.”
HEALTH WATCH: Oklahoma got better news than Alabama early this week regarding top defensive linemen. The Sooners’ R Mason Thomas missed the past three games after suffering a quad injury while returning a fumble 71 yards for a touchdown Nov. 1 against Tennessee. However, he was listed as fully available for this week’s game on Tuesday.
Alabama defensive end LT Overton, whose father played for Oklahoma, won’t be available on Friday due to an illness. He also missed the SEC championship game because of the ailment.
PRO DAY: Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor widely is regarded as one of the best offensive linemen available in the 2026 NFL Draft and might work into conversations as a top-five draft pick.
He’s massive and moves with the ease of a skill-position player, the foundation for why he allowed just four sacks over the last four seasons. The game against the Sooners will be a prime opportunity for Proctor to showcase his talents.
Oklahoma features one of the deepest defensive lines in all of college football, even if Thomas remains out. Taylor Wein and Marvin Jones Jr. on the outside and a deep group of interior defensive linemen will give Proctor plenty of opportunities to put (more) good film in the hands of scouts and further solidify his first-round status.
FUTURE IS HERE: Oklahoma redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis (6-foot-3, 314 pounds) has played a significant role for the Sooners’ offensive line late in the season as one of three freshmen to break into the starting lineup.
True freshmen Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje are the others. Pierre-Louis has started the last four games and not only performed well in his own rite, but has added an aggressive edge to the group. Pierre-Louis figured to continue to carve out a bigger role after being one of the top guard prospects in the 2024 class. While the Sooners lose Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons up front, the trio — led by Pierre-Louis — have a chance to help anchor Oklahoma up front for the next couple of years.
NOTEWORTHY: DeBoer is 19-5 all-time against AP Top 25 opponents and only once active FBS coach has more wins over ranked teams (Kirby Smart, Georgia, 26). DeBoer is 6-2 against top-10 opponents.
