Oklahoma Sooners officially in College Football Playoff as No. 8 seed

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The Oklahoma Sooners are officially back in the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. Oklahoma was slated as the No. 8 seed in the 12-team field and will host the Alabama Crimson Tide in Norman on Friday, Dec. 19.

The Sooners held steady after being ranked at No. 8 in the playoff rankings every week after their win over the Crimson Tide back on Nov. 15. OU beat Alabama 23-21 on the backs of a stellar defensive effort, which included an interception return for a touchdown by Eli Bowen and a strip sack by Taylor Wein. John Mateer had a 20-yard touchdown run in the win as the Sooners pulled off the upset.

The Sooners finished the season 10-2 and closed the year with four wins in a row and three wins over teams that were ranked in the AP top 25 at the time of the game.

Oklahoma now has a chance to make some noise in the playoff after navigating one of the most daunting schedules in the nation. Their resume included wins over seven teams ranked in the top 32 of the ESPN Football Power Index.

Alabama maintained its No. 9 spot in the playoff rankings despite a 28-7 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide rushed for minus-3 yards, and quarterback Ty Simpson was held to 212 passing yards while under duress by the Bulldogs’ defense.

The winner of the game will travel to Southern California to take on the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl.

The SEC led the way with five teams in the field. Georgia is the highest-ranked at No. 3, followed by No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 OU, and No. 9 Alabama.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners to host Alabama in College Football Playoff

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos