The Alabama Crimson Tide were in a tough spot in their College Football Playoff first-round matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, to say the least.
Early in the second quarter, they found themselves down, 17-0. It looked like disaster was on the horizon for Kalen DeBoer and his team, but the Tide rallied and ultimately made an epic comeback. They won, 34-24, scoring 27 unanswered points heading into the fourth quarter.
For as much of a collapse as it was for the Sooners, it was a watershed moment for the Crimson Tide.
This is not the Alabama juggernaut of old that was expected to win championships year after year under Nick Saban. DeBoer’s team has had some lows to go along with a few highs, but ultimately, he relayed that he believes fighting through that adversity is going to make his team stronger.
Could this be another Alabama team that wins it all? That remains to be seen, but DeBoer at least knows that his team will never be out of it because it knows how to fight together.
“It was miserable at times early going through it,” DeBoer said on “The Triple Option” podcast of the terrible start against Oklahoma (h/t On3). “But now that we’ve won, it’s one of those program things that we’ve done together. I talked to the guys about that yesterday. We each [have] our experiences… just where you overcame something… Just keep punching… It wasn’t barely scratching and getting through it. We thrived and we excelled as the game went on. You could see it growing on us.”
The Tide will need every bit of grit they can muster as they take on No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl, which is acting as the CFP quarterfinal.
Alabama Crimson Tide drawing on learning experiences as they prepare for Indiana Hoosiers
There was a time not too long ago when Indiana being the favorite over Alabama would have seemed like a joke, but the Hoosiers have gone all-in on the transfer portal and NIL era, and they’ve got arguably the best coach in college football in Curt Cignetti. They’re 13-0 on the season and just beat then-No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game.
This is an Indiana team that won’t be afraid of the big brand name that Alabama has. In fact, the Tide are a 6.5-point underdog going into this one, according to DraftKings.
Anything can happen in this one, but DeBoer at least knows that his team can draw on its experience from the win against Oklahoma. If the going gets tough against Indiana, and it very well may, the Tide know they can weather the storm.
“But this one, 17-0, and coming back. Now, that’s one we’ve done together and that’s one we have to remember. Like, how we did it,” DeBoer said.