Can the Alabama Crimson Tide win a rematch against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2025 College Football Playoff?
The Tide (10-3) and Sooners (10-2) will open the CFP in prime time on Friday, Dec. 19. Alabama‘s first-round trip to Norman will come 34 days after the Crimson Tide suffered a 23-21 loss to the Sooners in a top-10 matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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Alabama turned the ball over three times in that game, leading to 17 Oklahoma points. The Tide also gifted the Sooners a missed field goal at the end of the first half.
Alabama hasn’t looked the same since that loss, needing a gutsy fourth-down decision by Kalen DeBoer and a touchdown pass from Ty Simpson to Isaiah Horton to get past Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Tide were utterly dominated by the Georgia Bulldogs for four quarters in the SEC Championship Game.
Contrast that with Brent Venables’ Sooners, who haven’t lost in over a month. Oklahoma’s last loss came on Oct. 25 in Norman, when the Ole Miss Rebels came from behind for a 34-26 win.
But an Oklahoma victory in a rematch against Alabama is hardly guaranteed. The first game came down to one or two plays. The Sooners have an incredible defense, but their offense isn’t known for putting up a lot of points. Against LSU in its regular-season finale, Oklahoma also needed a fourth-quarter rally to slip past the Tigers (7-5).
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And DeBoer is “optimistic” that Alabama will get some players back from injury, including running back Jam Miller, defensive lineman LT Overton, and tight end Josh Cuevas. All three missed the SEC title clash against Georgia.
At least one national analyst sees an Alabama victory in Norman.
Who has the edge? USA TODAY Sports predicts Alabama-Oklahoma winner
On Tuesday, USA TODAY Sports columnist Paul Myerberg unveiled his College Football Playoff predictions. Myerberg sees Alabama football winning in Norman.
“No. 9 Alabama 21, No. 8 Oklahoma 16: Oklahoma won the earlier matchup in Tuscaloosa, sparking the Sooners’ late rebirth as a playoff contender. Look for this one to be a low-scoring, defense-focused affair defined by which team wins the turnover battle. That favors the Tide, but only barely.” –Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports
Happiness short-lived for Alabama in CFP?
An Alabama win over Oklahoma would pit the No. 9 seed Crimson Tide against the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers (13-0) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
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That’s where the Tide’s season will end, Myerberg believes.
“No. 1 Indiana 27, Alabama 24 (Rose Bowl): Let’s take a moment to consider how silly this would’ve sounded just two years ago: Indiana making the Rose Bowl, for one, and then beating mighty Alabama by a field goal. (This would qualify as the latest “best win in program history,” replacing the win against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.) The Hoosiers are built in every way to win this one and then two more to claim the national championship.”
Alabama football vs. Oklahoma: kickoff time, TV channel for CFP game
Alabama-Oklahoma is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19. The game will be televised on ABC and ESPN.
Alabama football schedule 2025
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Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)
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Sept. 27: at Georgia (W, 24-21)
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Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt (W, 30-14)
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Oct. 11: at Missouri (W, 27-24)
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Oct. 25: at South Carolina (W, 29-22)
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Nov. 8: vs. LSU (W, 20-9)
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Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma (L, 23-21)
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Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois (W, 56-0)
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Nov. 29: at Auburn (W, 27-20)
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Dec. 6: vs. Georgia at SEC Championship Game (L, 28-7)
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Dec. 19: at Oklahoma (CFP first-round)
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football will beat Oklahoma in CFP rematch, expert says
