No. 9 Alabama looked dead in the water early, then flipped the entire College Football Playoff on its head.

Down 17-0 on the road to No. 8 Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide ripped off 27 straight points and stormed back for a 34-24 first-round win on Friday night, punching their ticket to a Rose Bowl date with No. 1 Indiana on Jan. 1.

For the first quarter and a half, it was all Sooners.

John Mateer’s seven-yard strike to Isaiah Sategna III put Oklahoma up 17-0 with 10:51 left in the second quarter, capping a dominant start that had Alabama stuck at 12 total yards and zero first downs through its first three drives.

The Tide looked overwhelmed, out of sync, and on the verge of an early playoff exit. Then everything flipped.

Alabama’s first real sign of life came on a nine-play, 75-yard march capped by Ty Simpson’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Lotzier Brooks. That score didn’t just cut the deficit … it cracked the door open. Oklahoma immediately had a chance to slam it shut.

Mateer escaped the pocket on a third down and had Xavier Robinson wide open deep, but the pass slipped through Robinson’s hands. At worst, it would’ve put OU in the red zone. At best, it was six points lost.

From there, the Sooners unraveled.

After an Alabama punt, Oklahoma’s normally reliable punter Grayson Miller simply dropped the ball as he went to kick. The miscue turned into a blocked punt and a Tide field goal, slicing the lead to seven.

Four plays later, disaster struck again as Mateer misread the coverage and threw it straight to Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown, who housed it for a 50-yard pick-6.

A game that had been 17-0 Oklahoma was suddenly 17-17 at halftime, despite Alabama having minus-3 rushing yards and just 100 total yards in the first half.

The Tide seized control in the third quarter as Brooks hauled in his second touchdown to give Alabama its first lead. Oklahoma briefly cut the margin to three early in the fourth before Daniel Hill’s six-yard TD run, set up by a ridiculous reach-over-the-helmet grab from Germie Bernard, pushed the edge back to 10 with under 7:30 remaining.

Oklahoma’s last gasp came with under three minutes left, but even Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell blinked, missing just his second field goal of the year and effectively ending the comeback bid.

In November, Oklahoma beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa by winning ugly and riding turnovers. In December, Alabama returned the favor, and this time, the payoff is a Rose Bowl shot at No. 1 Indiana. What a statement win for Kalen DeBoer and the Tide.