Oklahoma fans would have never guessed what cost the Sooners in the CFP

The Oklahoma Sooners' best all season long was their worst in the postseason.

The No. 8 Sooners squandered a 17-0 lead to lose to No. 9 Alabama 34-24 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night in Norman, and while special teams had kept OU in every game all season in order to get to this point, it was that same unit that took the Sooners out of this one.

Special teams blunders kill Sooners vs Alabama

After Alabama had finally scored a touchdown in the second quarter to cut into a 17-0 deficit, the Crimson Tide then forced the Sooners to punt from their own 42-yard line. First-Team All-SEC punter Grayson Miller lined up to flip field position like he's done all season, but after a clean snap, Miller just dropped the ball before quickly picking it up and having his last-ditch attempt blocked by Tim Keenan III, who recovered it on OU's 30. The blunder ultimately resulted in a field goal.

Miller, who entered the game leading the SEC with 46.2 yards per punt, later in the fourth quarter shanked a punt for just 32 yards that gave Bama the ball back on OU's 35-yard line as the Sooners were desperate for a stop down 27-24. But the short field position led to a touchdown for the Crimson Tide and gave them a two-possession lead with 7:24 left.

That two-possession deficit could had again been shrunk to one with 2:53 left if Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell could make a 36-yard field goal. The attempt, though, was controversially ruled just outside the upright and ended Sandell's streak of 24 makes in a row after not missing a kick since Week 2.

OU head coach Brent Venables still had faith in the best kicker in college football, though. Desperate to stay alive, Venables trotted Sandell back out there on the next possession for a 51-yard attempt, which he had already nailed earlier in the game, to quickly put points on the board and hopefully stop Bama to get the ball back for a chance to score a game-tying touchdown. Sandell's record-breaking leg was short, though, and all hope was lost for the Sooners with 1:13 left.

The most sure thing about the 2025 OU football team seemed to be special teams, particularly First-Team All-SEC selections and All-Americans Sandell and Miller. When asked about the shocking special teams woes after the game, Venables said, "Nothing surprises me, it's football," but no matter what he claims, no OU fan or Venables himself would have predicted special teams to be the Sooners' downfall.