Crimson Tide picks perfect song in locker room after punching ticket to CFP Rose Bowl

The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide rebounded from an early collapse by scoring 27 straight points defeat the #8 Oklahoma Sooners 34–24 on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The win was also historic for Alabama as they became the first team in the on-campus CFP era to win a game.

After the win, “Going Back to Cali” by LL Cool J roared in Alabama’s locker roomcoinciding with the Crimson Tide’s celebration as they were ticketed to face the no. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

The game belonged to the Sooners early on. Oklahoma raced out to a 17–0 lead midway through the second quarter, holding the Crimson Tide to just 12 first-quarter yards and forcing three straight three-and-outs. Quarterback John Mateer engineered three early scores, throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Satenya III and setting up a 51-yard field goal by Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sendel. The Sooners outgained Alabama 236–100 in the first half and recorded 12 first downs to the Crimson Tide’s four.

Late in the second quarter, Alabama began to take control of the action. The Crimson Tide finally broke through on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with quarterback Ty Simpson’s 10-yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Lotzeir Brooks. A muffed punt by Oklahoma’s Grayson Miller led to a short Alabama field goal, and moments later, defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted Mateer and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 17-17 at halftime despite the Crimson Tide posting minus-3 rushing yards and just 100 total yards.

Alabama started the second half with a strong response after both teams traded shots. The Crimson Tide scored a touchdown that started a 24-point run, giving them a 24-17 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter. Simpson connected with freshman Brooks on a 30-yard touchdown passBrooks’ second score of the game and season as the young receiver enjoyed the best game of his career.

Alabama kept the momentum going, adding a 40-yard Connor Talty field goal to extend the unanswered scoring streak to 27, making it 27-17. The Sooners responded early in the fourth quarter, with Deion Burks catching a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to make it 27-24. Later, the Crimson Tide took advantage of a short punt that put the ball on the Oklahoma 35-yard line. Daniel Hill scored on a four-play drive to extend the lead to 34-24 with 7:24 left.

The Sooners’ hopes were dashed when Sandell missed a 36-yard field goal with less than three minutes left, followed by a 51-yard attempt that also fell short.

Alabama and Oklahoma combined for nine sacks and nine penalties. The Sooners had 362 yards and 18 first downs to the Crimson Tide’s 264 and 12. In the end, Brown’s pick-six, Alabama’s only turnover, decided the game.