No. 9 Alabama went down 17-0 early but scored 27 unanswered points and pulled out a 34-24 victory over No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday.
The Sooners threw early haymakers, but Alabama took the punches and survived. The Crimson Tide delivered their own knockout punches to pull out the road victory.
Here are a few takeaways from the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
- Tale of Two Quarters
Oklahoma got off to a near-perfect first quarter against Alabama with everything going its way. The Sooners jumped to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter and added another seven early in the second quarter to go up 17, and the Crimson Tide looked done. Alabama bounced back with a near-perfect second quarter and scored 17 unanswered points to tie the game at halftime and take back all the momentum.
- Breakout Game for Brooks
True freshman Lotzeir Brooks had his best game in an Alabama jersey, and it came at the best time. Brooks showed sparks throughout the season, but on Friday night, he had his breakout game. Leading the Crimson Tide in receiving, Brooks recorded five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
- Special Teams Battle Won
Special teams decided the first meeting between these two teams, and they played a big part in the second meeting. This time, Oklahoma made the mistakes on special teams, and the Crimson Tide connected on their field goals. A fumbled snap on a punt by the Sooners was a giant momentum swing in the first half that led to an Alabama field goal. Crimson Tide kicker Connor Talty got his redemption, going a perfect 2-for-2 on his field goal attempts of 35 and 40 yards. Oklahoma's kicker went 1-for-3 on the night.
- Hill Gets Downhill
The Alabama rushing attack wasn’t great, but it got the job done. Sophomore running back Daniel Hill led the Crimson Tide in rushing with 43 yards on nine carries. Hill delivered the longest run by a running back since week two with a 30-yard rush. Hill also added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to help secure the win.
- Pass Rush Hits Home
Oklahoma’s pass rush was the talk all week, but Alabama’s pass rush was the one that showed up on Friday. The Crimson Tide recorded five sacks on the night, outsacking the Sooners. In the first half, the Alabama pass rush was obsolete, but in the second half, the Crimson Tide dialed up blitzes that got home and put Oklahoma in bad situations.
Alabama will face No. 1 Indiana in a quarterfinals matchup in the Rose Bowl at 3 p.m. on New Year’s Day. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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