When Alabama steps onto the field in Norman for the first round of the College Football Playoff, it won’t be about payback. Not for the narrow 24-21 loss back in November, and not for the 24-3 blowout that played a big role in keeping the Crimson Tide out of last year’s playoff. This time, it’s about something bigger - survival, growth, and proving they belong on college football’s biggest stage once again.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer and his players aren’t dragging the past into this matchup. They’re not looking back at what Oklahoma has done to them in recent meetings. They’re focused on what’s ahead - a clean slate, a 0-0 mindset, and a shot to keep their season alive.
Team captains Ty Simpson and Deontae Lawson made that crystal clear after Monday’s practice. The message inside the Alabama locker room? This is a new chapter, not a sequel.
“It’s a new season, right? 0-0.
Nobody’s won. Nobody’s lost,” Simpson said.
That’s the tone he’s setting for his teammates. Forget the history.
Forget the headlines. Lock in on the now.
From the way they walk into Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to every snap they take, Simpson wants the Crimson Tide to control what they can control - their preparation, their execution, and their mindset. “We’re going to prepare like we’ve never won and perform like we’ve never lost,” he added. That’s not just a quote - it’s a mentality, and it’s exactly what Alabama needs in a win-or-go-home situation.
Lawson echoed that sentiment, pushing the team to raise its level as the stakes rise. “You’ve got to be your best when your best is needed,” he said.
“It’s playoff season, a whole new season. Just got to go on and up.”
For DeBoer, this marks only his second College Football Playoff appearance as a head coach, and his first with Alabama. But the moment isn’t too big. He’s leaning into what’s worked for this group all season - staying grounded, staying present, and executing when it matters most.
“I think that’s where we’ve executed better in the critical situations,” DeBoer said, referencing the team’s 4-1 record away from home. “That was kind of a theme going into the offseason.”
And now, that offseason work is being put to the test in the most intense environment yet - a playoff road game in Norman, where the crowd won’t be friendly and the traditions Alabama leans on, like “Dixieland Delight,” won’t be echoing through the stadium.
But that’s not what this is about. It’s not about silencing the crowd or chasing revenge. It’s about chasing opportunity - the kind that slipped through their fingers last year.
There’s no talk of validation, no scoreboard watching, no dwelling on past wounds. Alabama is locked in on one thing: staying alive in the playoff and proving they belong among college football’s elite.
Because in December, when the lights are brightest and the margin for error disappears, the teams that move forward aren’t the ones looking back. They’re the ones who show up ready to write the next chapter - and Alabama believes its story isn’t finished yet.