Oklahoma didn't budge in the penultimate College Football Playoff Rankings on Tuesday, but the Sooners did finally escape that Notre Dame first-round matchup they had been stuck with the last two weeks. However, that's an opponent that might be missed now.
The Sooners stayed put at No. 8 in the CFP rankings for the third week in a row, but Notre Dame dropped to No. 10 while getting jumped by Alabama. If the season ended today, which fortunately for the Sooners it doesn't, OU would host the Crimson Tide in Norman for a rematch in that 8 vs. 9 first-round matchup. The Sooners beat Bama 23-21 earlier this season in Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma on track for Alabama rematch in College Football Playoff
TEXAS TECH INTO THE CFP BRACKET TOP 4 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9mCJ4G2D0F
— ESPN (@espn) December 3, 2025
Although the Sooners beat Bama once already this season, it's still not a promising matchup, even with Round 2 in Norman. Alabama won basically every aspect of that first game but the score. OU forced three turnovers and didn't mount a scoring drive of more than 50 yards in the win. The longest touchdown of the game was an 87-yard pick-6 from OU's Eli Bowen. Everything went wrong to go right.
It's already hard enough to beat a team twice in a season, but especially against a team as good as Alabama and after a game where everything fell just perfectly while things went wrong.
However, the Sooners can still escape this pairing. OU doesn't play this weekend, but Alabama will play No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. The Crimson Tide already beat Georgia before this season, so if they do again, they'll jump in the final rankings, even over the Sooners despite the head-to-head outcome.
But like previously stated, it's hard to beat a good team twice. The committee has stated it won't knock a team for losing in a title game, though, so a loss to Georgia could leave Bama right at No. 9 to face the Sooners. Fans would definitely riot if the committee dropped Bama below Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish get to avoid a conference championship game.
The Sooners can be glad the Crimson Tide get another chance to impress the committee and hopefully erase the rematch.