Alabama Finds Its Identity in Norman-and It Might Be More Dangerous Than Ever
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NORMAN, Okla. - The scoreboard at Owen Field read 34-24, and the celebration had already begun when Ty Simpson came sprinting across the turf, rose in one hand, game ball in the other. He found his coach, Kalen DeBoer, and handed over the football.
“This is yours,” Simpson told him.
It was a small moment, but one that spoke volumes. After a season of outside noise, playoff controversy, and questions about DeBoer’s future, Alabama had just punched its ticket to the Rose Bowl. And they did it by coming back from 17 points down-on the road, against the same Oklahoma team that embarrassed them last month.
This wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
One that said: Alabama isn’t dead. In fact, it might just be figuring out who it really is.
From Crisis to Comeback
Let’s not sugarcoat it-when Alabama fell behind 17-0, it looked bleak. Social media was already writing the eulogy.
Pundits were revisiting the idea that Alabama didn’t deserve a Playoff spot in the first place. And with rumors swirling about Michigan’s interest in DeBoer, some were even questioning whether he’d be around much longer.
But then Alabama did what Alabama has done so many times before-it fought back.
By the time the final whistle blew, the Tide had not only erased the deficit but controlled the game down the stretch. The win sends them to Pasadena to face top-seeded Indiana on New Year’s Day, and it makes Michigan’s pursuit of DeBoer a whole lot more complicated with the transfer portal opening the next day.
More importantly, it reminded everyone-especially Alabama fans-why DeBoer was hired in the first place.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
DeBoer’s resume speaks for itself, even if it hasn’t always gotten the credit it deserves in Tuscaloosa. After Friday night, he’s now 4-0 in true road games against top-10 opponents-the most of any coach in the Playoff era.
He’s 16-4 in ranked matchups, the best win percentage among active coaches with at least 10 such games. And when Vegas counts him out, he tends to deliver: he’s 10-4 outright as an underdog.
That’s not just good. That’s elite.
Yes, there have been stumbles. The opening loss to Florida State was ugly.
The SEC title game against Georgia was worse. But when the lights are brightest, DeBoer’s teams show up.
And that’s something Alabama fans are starting to recognize.
A New Era, A New Identity
Let’s be clear: Nick Saban isn’t walking back through that door. And he shouldn’t have to.
The college football landscape has shifted dramatically. NIL, the transfer portal, and a deeper talent pool across the country have made it harder than ever to dominate the way Saban once did. Even he saw the writing on the wall.
This is the new Alabama. One that celebrates gritty wins over Vanderbilt and Missouri.
One that doesn’t just expect to win-it appreciates the process of getting there. That might sound like a step back, but it’s actually a step forward.
Because this team knows what it is now.
And maybe, just maybe, that makes it more dangerous.
Culture Over Crisis
After the win, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack summed it up perfectly: “We’ve learned how to fight. Now we have a culture of fighters.”
That culture starts at the top with DeBoer. And it was evident Friday night, even when things looked like they were spiraling.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb pointed to the SEC title game loss as a turning point. The message after that game?
Don’t let it happen again.
When Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead, there was no panic. No finger-pointing. Just belief.
“I didn’t feel the same resolve in Atlanta that I felt here tonight,” Grubb said. “When it was 17-0, talking to Ty on the headset, getting with the coaches, there was a belief that we were going to make a play.”
And they did. Again and again.
DeBoer’s Moment
This win wasn’t just about advancing to the next round. It was about validation-for DeBoer, for Simpson, and for a team that’s been doubted since Week 1.
Remember, fans were calling into radio shows debating DeBoer’s buyout after the Florida State loss. Some analysts wanted Alabama left out of the Playoff entirely after the Georgia blowout. And yet, here they are-headed to Pasadena with roses in hand.
Even Saban, now in the analyst chair, threw his support behind his successor before the game.
“Kalen DeBoer has the total and complete support of the University of Alabama,” Saban said. “They want him to be the coach at Alabama.”
That support, once tentative, now feels earned.
The Road Ahead
Oklahoma wore black shirts that said “Hard To Kill” on Friday night. It was a nod to their own resilience. But if any team has lived up to that phrase this season, it’s Alabama.
They’ve taken the hits, heard the noise, and kept swinging. And now, they’re one win away from the national semifinals.
As DeBoer walked off the field, roses in his family’s hands and a newspaper tucked under his arm with the headline “Better Late Than Sooner,” he smiled.
Alabama may not be what it once was under Saban. But it might finally know what it is under DeBoer.
And that might be even scarier for the rest of college football.