SoonerScoop podcast: Countdown to OU hosting the College Football Playoff
(by Bob Przybylo) The calm before the OU and College Football Playoff storm. We’re going to get there, promise, but we’re not there yet. It’s not game week. Instead, taking a deep dive into some SEC honors as OU was full of guys being recognized earlier this week. OU is welcoming Alabama to The Palace next Friday to begin the College Football...listen to podcast from the SoonerScoop
CFP tickets aren't cheap. How bad are OU-Alabama tickets compared to other matchups?
(by Isa Almeida) No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama are opening the first round of the College Football Playoff in Norman on Friday, Dec. 19. The Sooners will host the Crimson Tide in a rematch of the regular-season game in Tuscaloosa, won 23-21 by Oklahoma. The contest will kick off at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and ABC, and the winner will...read more from The Oklahoman
Oklahoma's biggest nonconference matchup in 2026 just lost its shine
(by Dekota Gregory) The college football world rolled out the red carpet in Oklahoma this season when the Sooners hosted Michigan for a battle of blue bloods, but their next meeting in 2026 in Ann Arbor likely won't get the same pageantry now. Michigan announced on Wednesday that it fired head coach Sherrone Moore because...read more from Stormin' in Norman
How Did Oklahoma Spend Its Week Off to Prepare for the CFP?
(by Ryan Chapman) NORMAN — While Alabama was preparing to take on Georgia, Oklahoma got a rare week to focus on itself. The Sooners couldn’t start preparations for the College Football Playoff without an opponent last week. Instead, the coaching staff allowed the team to get closer to full health while highlighting aspects of...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
ESPN's College GameDay returning to Oklahoma for 1st round of College Football Playoff
(by Tom Green) NORMAN — ESPN's College GameDay is returning to Norman for the second time this season — this time for the College Football Playoff. ESPN announced Wednesday that it will hold two shows next weekend for the first round of the College Football Playoff, with a Friday edition in Norman ahead of the matchup...read more from Sooners Illustrated
Tate Sandell named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year
(by Jesse Crittenden) The winner of the Southeastern Conference’s top special teams award was almost a given. Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year on Wednesday. Sandell is the program’s first SEC individual award winner and the Sooners’ first special teams player of the year since...read more from the OUInsider
Playoff Schedule Sets up Nicely for Sooners, Gives Chance to Keep Building Momentum
(by Ryan Aber) Oklahoma will not only have the benefit of home-field advantage when the eighth-ranked Sooners take on No. 9 Alabama in a first-round College Football Playoff matchup Dec. 19 on Owen Field. Oklahoma will not only have the benefit of home-field advantage when the eighth-ranked Sooners take on No. 9 Alabama in a...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
OU football entering CFP vs Alabama with chip on shoulder after 'Red November'
(by Colton Sulley) NORMAN — OU football has played with a chip on its shoulder all season. The Sooners have adopted several mantras: Grimy. Enough is enough. Hard to kill. Make no mistake, they'll be bringing those mindsets with them into their first-round game against Alabama in the College Football Playoff, where they are 2 1/2...read more from The Oklahoman
Five Plays That Helped Oklahoma Defeat Alabama in the Regular Season
(by Carson Field) Oklahoma’s most monumental win of the season came against Alabama on Nov. 15. The Sooners went into a hostile Bryant-Denny Stadium and earned a gritty, 23-21 victory. OU will host the Crimson Tide in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 19. Here are five plays that lifted the Sooners to victory in...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Several Sooners earn All-SEC honors
(by Jesse Crittenden) Oklahoma placed 10 different players on the All-SEC teams on Tuesday. Defensive end R Mason Thomas, place kicker Tate Sandell and punter Grayson Miller were named to the All-SEC First Team. Isaiah Sategna, Peyton Bowen, Febechi Nwaiwu, Ben Anderson and Taylor Wein earned second-team honors, while Eli Bowen...read more from the OUInsider
Why Brent Venables Believes Oklahoma is Ready for 'Enormous Magnitude' of Playoff Game
(by Carson Field) NORMAN — There’s no denying the magnitude of Oklahoma’s next game. The No. 8-ranked Sooners will host No. 9 Alabama on Friday, Dec. 19. Not only is it a rematch of a game that OU won 23-21 on the road in November, but it’s a College Football Playoff first-round game. Next week’s game will be arguably the biggest...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Brent Venables had a strong message for Oklahoma's College Football Playoff doubters
(by Dekota Gregory) Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables knows what's being said about his Sooners, but he does not care and hasn't all season. The Sooners earned the 8-seed in the College Football Playoff and the right to host No. 9 Alabama for a first-round rematch on Friday, Dec. 19, at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium...read more from Stormin' in Norman
Why Oklahoma Should Expect WR Isaiah Sategna to Appear on the All-SEC Team
(by Brady Trantham) By now, you've been made aware that the 2025 Oklahoma Sooners offense struggled mightily throughout conference play. That didn't stop receiver Isaiah Sategna from having the most prolific pass-catching season since Marvin Mims' 2022 output. During Oklahoma's second half of its season when John Mateer...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Ahead of Oklahoma-Alabama Playoff Game, What are the Top 5 Games in Owen Field History?
(by Ryan Aber) NORMAN — Owen Field has been the site of plenty of big-time games over the years. But the College Football Playoff matchup between No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 will be perhaps the biggest. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals while the loser’s season will be over. That hasn’t generally...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
SIP Ep. 233 | What does Oklahoma need to have happen to go on a deep College Football Playoff run?
(by Josh Callaway) With the College Football Playoff bracket solidified, the Sooners Illustrated Podcast is back with a brand new episode. Sooners Illustrated's Josh Callaway and Tom Green look ahead to Oklahoma's rematch with Alabama and break down what OU needs not only to down the Crimson Tide - but go on a deep run through the CFP....listen to podcast from Sooners Illustrated
Who Has the Edge Between John Mateer, Ty Simpson Ahead of Oklahoma-Alabama Rematch?
(by Carson Field) Quarterback-wise, Oklahoma and Alabama will enter the College Football Playoff in similar situations. OU quarterback John Mateer and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson were both odds-on favorites to win the Heisman Trophy at one point this season. With less than a week until the trophy is awarded, both of their odds...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Brent Venables on OU's rematch with Alabama: 'It's time to start completely over'
(by Jesse Crittenden) By the time kickoff comes around next Friday, there will be no secrets between Oklahoma and Alabama. The College Football Playoff first-round matchup in Norman on Dec. 19 (7 p.m. ABC) will mark the third matchup between the two teams in 13 months. The Sooners won the previous two matchups, including a 23-21...read more from the OUInsider
Ticket Information: OU vs Alabama, December 19, 2025
(by OU Athletics Communications) An exclusive presale for season ticket holders begins Monday, Dec. 8. Season ticket holders should refer to an email titled "Sooners to Host Alabama in CFP First Round" for their assigned access time and purchase link. Presale times are based on Sooner Club membership level and Championship Points...read more from SoonerSports.com
Brent Venables, Sooners head into College Football Playoff with chip on their shoulder
(by Jesse Crittenden) Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has clearly heard the outside chatter about his football team. The Sooners were firmly in the College Football Playoff field, finishing at No. 8 in Sunday’s final rankings. With a top-eight seed, they’ll host No. 9-seed Alabama in a first-round game on Dec. 19. But as the playoff...read more from the OUInsider
Sooners get crushing injury update that clouds CFP showdown with Alabama
(by Dekota Greggory) Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables had a video conference on Sunday to discuss the Sooners' College Football Playoff news, but in the midst of that, Venables also revealed some troublesome injury news. The No. 8 Sooners will host No. 9 Alabama for a rematch at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on...read more from Stormin' in Norman
