John Mateer Owns the Moment After Oklahoma’s Playoff Loss to Alabama
In the aftermath of Oklahoma’s 34-24 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff, John Mateer didn’t duck the spotlight. He didn’t deflect. He stood tall, even as the weight of a season-ending defeat pressed down.
The Sooners quarterback faced the media with the same poise he often shows in the pocket, and he didn’t sugarcoat the moment that changed the game - a pick-six that swung momentum firmly in Alabama’s favor.
“I checked some, but it was a bad check,” Mateer admitted. “I got tricked.
And it was pretty bad.” You could hear the accountability in his voice.
No excuses. Just facts.
“You watch the tape, it was obvious it wasn’t a cover zero and I got tricked. Sometimes when you get tricked you’ve got to mitigate the damage and I didn’t do it.”
Then came the part that stuck. “I didn’t make the tackle and I didn’t let our defense have a chance.”
That’s a quarterback owning the moment - not just the throw, but the aftermath. That kind of leadership doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.
And speaking of stats, Mateer still put together a performance that kept the Sooners in it. Over 300 yards through the air.
Two touchdowns. He moved the ball, kept drives alive, and gave his team a shot well into the fourth quarter.
But in his mind, it came down to one thing.
“Overall it was OK,” he said. “I get the ball there and we win, so it wasn’t good enough.”
That’s the bar he’s set for himself - not numbers, not highlights, but wins. And when the Sooners needed a drive to flip the script, Mateer knew he came up short.
There was another critical moment late in the game, a third-and-short where Mateer had a decision to make. Run it himself or trust his receiver breaking open. He chose the latter.
“It’s obviously split decision. You trust your instincts,” he said.
“I knew I could run it but he’s running open. It’s unfortunate.
It just didn’t work out.” He stood by the call, even as he acknowledged the safer play.
“I don’t regret what I did. It just didn’t work out.”
That’s what high-level quarterbacking looks like - living in the gray area between instinct and execution. Sometimes it clicks.
Sometimes it doesn’t. But Mateer isn’t second-guessing.
He’s learning.
As the curtain closed on the Sooners’ season, Mateer shifted from X’s and O’s to something more personal. This wasn’t just about a game. It was about a group that defied expectations.
“We did a lot of things people didn’t expect,” he said. “I love these guys.
And we all hate that it’s over. I wish we could just have one more day together.”
That’s the heartbeat of a locker room leader. The kind of guy teammates rally around. The kind of guy who feels the sting of the final whistle not just because of the loss, but because of what it means - the end of a journey with a team that believed in each other.
As for what’s next? Mateer isn’t rushing into any decisions about his future, whether that’s a return to Norman or a leap to the NFL.
“I haven’t really thought about it yet,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll take some time and weigh all the options and we’ll see.”
Whatever direction he chooses, one thing’s clear: John Mateer isn’t running from the spotlight. He’s standing in it, learning from it, and leading through it - even in defeat. That’s something Oklahoma can be proud of.