Sooners’ mistakes crucial to significant squandered advantage, defeat against Bama

NORMAN, Okla. — Back in the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019, No. 8 Oklahoma earned an unwanted distinction Friday night. After squandering a 17-point advantage in a 34-24 loss to No. 9 Alabama, the Sooners now own the two largest blown leads in Playoff history.

A month after Crimson Tide miscues fueled the defining win of Oklahoma’s 2025 season on Nov. 15, Alabama flipped the script inside Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, feasting on errors from quarterback John Mateer and the Sooners’ special team units to bounce the hosts in the CFP first-round and secure a Rose Bowl quarterfinal date with No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 1.

Down 17-0 early in the second quarter, the Crimson Tide scored on five of their next seven possessions and rattled off 27 unanswered points to power the joint-largest comeback in CFP history, matching the 17-point deficit Georgia overcame to top Oklahoma in a double-overtime, Rose Bowl thriller on New Year’s Day 2018. Per ESPN research, teams that have led by 17 or more in a CFP game are 28-2 all-time. Each of those two losses belong to the Sooners.

Isaiah Sategna III caught a seven-yard touchdown from Mateer to open a 17-0 lead with 10:51 remaining in the second quarter, the Sooners had forced three consecutive three-and-outs and were outgaining Alabama 135-12.

After Alabama responded with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, the dynamics of the second meeting between the two programs in the last 34 days swung on three plays.

Facing third-and-3 from midfield, Mateer evaded a sack and rolled out of the pocket with open space in front of him. He could have run for a first down. Instead, Mateer fired 40-plus yards downfield to running back Xavier Robinson, who failed to haul in the throw. On the next snap, Oklahoma punter Grayson Miller dropped his punt attempt and turned the ball over on downs, setting the stage for a 35-yard-field from Alabama’s Conor Talty that cut the lead to 17-10.

«Field position against an Oklahoma team is so critical with their defense, so that was huge,» Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. «That was really huge for us.»

On the ensuing series, Alabama ran a disguised defensive look that appeared to confuse Mateer. With a safety dropped into coverage and Oklahoma wide receiver Keontez Lewis streaking downfield, Mateer fired, inexplicably, to no one other than Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown, who intercepted the pass and streaked down the Sooners’ sideline for a 50-yard pick-six.

Suddenly, the game sat level at 17-17 with 1:26 remaining in the second quarterback. Of the 15 teams that have gone behind by at least 17 in the first half of a CFP game, the Crimson Tide became the first not to be trailing, courtesy of Mateer’s fourth interception in his last two games.

«I got tricked and it’s pretty bad,» Mateer said. «I mean you watch the tape, it was obvious it wasn’t a cover zero. I got tricked and it happens sometimes. But when you get tricked you’ve got to mitigate the damage and I didn’t do it.»

DeBoer described Alabama’s first-round win as «the opposite of the first game back at home.» Indeed, the Crimson Tide was statistically dominant in Oklahoma’s 23-21 win in Tuscaloosa last month. But the Sooners left with a signature win by taking advantage of mistakes.

In Friday’s rematch, the roles reversed. Second-half touchdowns from Lotzeir Brooks and Daniel Hill thrust the Crimson Tide to a 34-24 lead with 7:24 remaining. Pushing to close the gap, Oklahoma reached field goal position twice in the final three minutes, setting the stage for Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell, who had converted on each of his past 24 field goal attempts.

Battling gusting winds, Sandell pushed the first attempt — a 36-yarder — wide left. Ninety seconds later, he came up short on a 51-yard attempt, his first miss from 50-plus yards all fall.

Sandell’s pair of misses were the final markers of a night that simply stopped going Oklahoma’s way following a scorching opening 20 minutes. After stunning wins over Tennessee and Alabama in November, and the similarly astonishing appearance of 50 Cent in Norman on Friday night, the Sooners ran out magic the Playoff, ultimately beaten at their own game by Alabama.

«When we needed to, we couldn’t pull one out like we have in several other games this year,» Venables said.