Down 17 points in one of the most hostile environments in college football, Alabama’s season-and Kalen DeBoer’s early tenure in Tuscaloosa-stood at a crossroads. The Tide were on the ropes in Norman, staring down a potential blowout loss in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. But what unfolded over the next two quarters wasn’t just a comeback-it was a statement.
Let’s set the stage. Alabama entered the Playoff as an at-large team, a controversial inclusion after two regular-season losses and a lopsided defeat in the SEC Championship.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack had said the Tide had been in “win or go home” mode since the Florida State game, but this felt different. This was a three-score hole against Oklahoma, on the road, in December.
The kind of game that tests not just a team’s talent, but its identity.
And for a while, it looked like this might be the moment that defined DeBoer’s Alabama legacy-for better or worse.
Instead, it became something else entirely. Alabama flipped the script and walked out of Norman with a 34-24 win, matching the largest comeback in College Football Playoff history (tying Georgia’s 2017 Rose Bowl rally against Oklahoma).
It was also the first time any team has won a road Playoff game. That’s not just history-it’s a milestone that speaks volumes about DeBoer’s ability to steady the ship when the waters get rough.
The win also improved DeBoer’s record to 4-0 in true road games against AP Top 10 opponents-no active coach in the Playoff era has more. That’s not just a stat, that’s a calling card.
And while rumors have swirled around DeBoer and Michigan in recent days, this performance should put a serious dent in the idea that he’s eyeing the exit door. Yes, Michigan is reportedly interested.
Yes, there’s chatter about potential contract extensions and the ever-present influence of super-agent Jimmy Sexton. But Friday night in Norman wasn’t about the rumor mill.
It was about DeBoer showing exactly why Alabama hired him to succeed Nick Saban.
Let’s talk about how it happened.
The turning point came when Alabama finally got on the board thanks to true freshman Lotzeir Brooks, who continues to prove he’s more than just a future star-he’s a present-day difference-maker. First, it was a 29-yard catch that gave the Tide their initial spark. Then, on a crucial 4th-and-5, Brooks spun through multiple Oklahoma defenders and found the end zone, putting Alabama on the board and back in the fight.
That was just the beginning.
Zabien Brown’s pick-six tied the game before halftime, a massive momentum shift that sent a clear message: Alabama wasn’t going away. In the second half, Germie Bernard hauled in a deep ball that helped stretch the lead, and Oklahoma’s special teams unraveled at the worst possible time. A dropped punt attempt and multiple missed kicks from Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell gave Alabama extra possessions and breathing room.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer had a chance to extend the lead late in the first half, but opted to throw deep on 3rd-and-3 rather than take the easy yards with his legs. The pass was dropped, the drive stalled, and Alabama seized the opening. That moment-one of many that could be circled as the turning point-was emblematic of the night: Alabama capitalized, Oklahoma didn’t.
And that’s the story of this game. Alabama didn’t play perfect football, but they made the plays that mattered. They adjusted, they responded, and they looked like a team that still believes its best football is ahead.
As for DeBoer, this win doesn’t just buy him time-it builds credibility. He’s now led Alabama to its first Playoff win since the 2021 semifinal against Cincinnati.
He’s shown he can win on the road, against elite competition, when the stakes are highest. That’s the kind of résumé that doesn’t need defending.
So what’s next? A New Year’s Day showdown in the Rose Bowl against No. 1 seed Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Alabama enters that matchup as underdogs, but after what we just saw, they’ll be carrying serious momentum-and maybe a little swagger.
Whether it was Brooks’ breakout, Brown’s pick-six, or just a team refusing to fold under pressure, Friday night changed the narrative. It didn’t erase the questions about Alabama’s season, but it reframed them. Now, instead of wondering whether DeBoer is the right guy for the job, we’re asking how far he can take this team.
And if there’s still talk about DeBoer heading to Michigan? That’s just noise. Friday night made one thing clear: he’s not done building something in Tuscaloosa.