The Crimson Tide defense was "begging" to play man coverage, and it helped pave the way to a comeback win in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Sheridan was demoted before this season to co-offensive coordinator after DeBoer hired his former Washington Huskies offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb. Sheridan will be working under newly hired Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald, who replaced Jonathan Smith.

Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, made an appearance before the fourth quarter of Oklahoma's CFP first-round game vs. Alabama. Here's why:

Oklahoma also knocked Alabama out of playoff contention last season when it pulled off a 24-3 upset of the Crimson Tide. This will be Oklahoma's first playoff appearance since 2019. The Sooners, who won just six games in 2024,

It was the first playoff for the Crimson Tide since coach Kalen DeBoer arrived from Washington two years ago. Alabama (11-3) advanced to play No. 1 seed Indiana and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ESPN " College GameDay " analyst Nick Saban openly expresses his loyalty to the Alabama Crimson Tide during the show. He served as the head coach of the Crimson Tide for 17 seasons, winning six national championships and solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest coaches in college football history.

The Oklahoma Sooners 2025 season has come to an end after a heartbreaking 34-24 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff. A winnable game fell apart in what felt like Murphy's Law taking a sledgehammer to the Sooners' momentum.

Alabama football surged back when its season was on the line in the CFP against Oklahoma. Here are our grades for Crimson Tide report card.