All season long, Tate Sandell had been as reliable as they come. The Oklahoma junior kicker, known as much for his clutch leg as his signature short pants, had been a steady force in the Sooners’ rise to the No. 8 seed and a home game in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. He entered Friday night having connected on 23 of 24 field goals - a near-automatic presence in a game where every point matters.
But in the biggest moments of Oklahoma’s season, the script flipped.
With just under three minutes to play and the Sooners trailing Alabama by 10, Sandell had a chance to pull them within one score - a 36-yard attempt that, by his standards, was well within range. Instead, the kick sailed wide left. Alabama held onto its 34-24 lead, and the Sooners’ comeback hopes took a major hit.
It was a stunning moment, not just because of the timing, but because of who missed it. Sandell had been nails all year, his only previous miss coming all the way back in Week 2 - a 42-yarder against Michigan on September 6.
Since then, he’d been perfect from inside 50 yards, including a spotless 3-for-3 from both the 20-29 and 30-39 ranges, and a stellar 8-of-9 from 40-49. Add in a flawless 7-for-7 from beyond 50, and it’s no wonder he walked away with the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top kicker.
And early on Friday, it looked like Sandell was ready to add another chapter to that legacy. He drilled a 51-yard field goal late in the first quarter, part of a red-hot start that saw Oklahoma jump out to a 17-0 lead. The Sooners were rolling, and Sandell was doing his part.
But momentum in college football is a fickle thing - and Alabama, well, they’ve made a habit of flipping the switch when it matters. The Crimson Tide stormed back, and by the time Sandell lined up for that 36-yarder late in the fourth, the pressure was at its peak.
After the miss, Oklahoma still had a sliver of hope. But after the defense forced a stop, Sandell had one last chance from 51 yards out - the same distance he’d hit from earlier. This time, the ball came up short, sealing the Sooners’ fate.
In the end, Alabama closed the door and walked away with a 34-24 win - the first road victory in the new 12-team College Football Playoff format. They’ll now move on to face Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
For Sandell, it’s a tough pill to swallow. One of the best kicking seasons in recent memory ended with two misses that will sting.
But make no mistake - the Sooners wouldn’t have been in this position without him. And while the final chapter didn’t go as planned, the body of work speaks for itself.