Alabama's CFP first round opponent, Oklahoma has many names to know, headlined by the 2025 Lou Groza Award winner.

Sooners coach Brent Venables says his offense has improved leading into the College Football Playoff, but will it be enough to spark a run?

The Sooners have to feel good about their chances as long as quarterback John Mateer is good to go. Mateer, who was at times thought of as a Heisman Trophy contender this season, injured his thumb midseason in a game against Auburn.

And Venables went back to doing what he does best — hiring himself as defensive coordinator after his protege, Zac Alley, left for West Virginia. The 2025 Sooner defense rivals the best defenses Venables coordinated at Clemson in the 2010s and at OU in the early 2000s.

The ninth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will look to turn the tables on the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners when they meet Friday in the first

The Sooners' dynamic edge rusher was not listed on the first availability report of the week ahead of OU's clash with the Crimson Tide.

Unlike last year's debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff, weather should not be a factor in any of the first-round games Friday and Saturday.

Oklahoma has done a lot of winning on the field this season, but Brent Venables is also having some success off it. On the first day of the early signing period, the Oklahoma Sooners have a top-15 ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to 247 Sports.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama's offense will face an Oklahoma defense this Friday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff that leads the nation in sacks (41) and tackles for loss (115.) Coached by Brent Venables, the Sooner defense is known for making things incredibly difficult for opposing offense both pre and post snap.