The Alabama football team advanced in the College Football Playoff, after a come-from-behind win over Oklahoma on Friday. The Crimson Tide are now moving on to the Rose Bowl, to play Indiana. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer opened up after the Oklahoma game, about how much it meant to win.
“We always talk about the game is going to come back to us,” DeBoer said, per ESPN. “We have too many good players. If you just keep fighting, you're going to force them to make a mistake, something's going to happen. Just keep coming after them, play after play, and the game's going to come back to you. And that's what happened tonight.”
Alabama defeated Oklahoma 34-24 on Friday night. It was DeBoer's first CFP win with the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide also avenged a loss they had suffered to the Sooners during the regular season.
The Crimson Tide are 11-3 following the win. Oklahoma ends their season with a 10-3 record.
Alabama made a powerful first-round statement in the College Football Playoff
The Crimson Tide lost three games during the season, including a blowout defeat to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Alabama brushed aside all the criticism they faced during the season, with the Oklahoma win.
Early on in the CFP first-round game, Alabama fell behind 17-0. Alabama received a torrent of criticism on social media, and the Crimson Tide seemed to hear it. Alabama roared back to score 34 points after the first quarter ended.
The Alabama head coach kept his team poised despite falling way behind.
“Don't overthink it,” DeBoer said. “It's a lot of guys doing a little bit better in everything they can control.”
The Crimson Tide were led in the game by their quarterback, Ty Simpson. Simpson threw for 232 passing yards and two touchdowns.
“Keep going,” Simpson said postgame. “That's kind of been our message all season.”
The team now moves on to face an undefeated Indiana team. Alabama and Indiana play in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
