(BCSNN) - Alabama didn’t beat Oklahoma the first time this season. That didn’t matter. In the College Football Playoff, the sport’s blue bloods always get another shot - and the Crimson Tide cashed in on theirs Friday night, erasing a 17–0 deficit to beat the Sooners 34–24 and advance to the CFP Quarterfinals.

It was the kind of comeback that will be framed as grit and championship DNA. But it also underscored the reality of the modern playoff era: name‑brand programs get as many lives as they need. Alabama, with more CFP appearances than anyone, simply did what Alabama always does - survive, advance, and remind the sport that pedigree still outweighs performance.

Freshman receiver Lotzeir Brooks delivered a breakout night, catching five passes for 79 yards and scoring the first two touchdowns of his career. Ty Simpson threw for 232 yards and two scores, settling in after a rocky start. And when Alabama needed a spark, it came - predictably - from its defense. Zabien Brown jumped a John Mateer pass and returned it 50 yards for a pick‑six, tying the game at 17–17 just before halftime and flipping the momentum permanently.

From there, the Tide did what the Tide does. Daniel Hill’s 30‑yard burst set up a go‑ahead touchdown early in the third quarter, Conor Talty added two field goals, and the defense suffocated Oklahoma until the Sooners’ late push. Even then, Alabama responded immediately, punching in a short‑field touchdown to put the game away.

The win pushes Alabama to 10–5 all‑time in CFP games - the most wins of any program - and extends head coach Kalen DeBoer’s record against ranked teams to an eye‑popping 20–5. It also keeps alive a postseason run that, in any other sport, would have ended weeks ago. But in college football, the biggest brands never stay dead for long.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is left to wonder how many chances it would have received had the roles been reversed. The Sooners controlled the first quarter, dominated the line of scrimmage early, and built a 17–0 lead behind Mateer’s dual‑threat play. But in a system built to elevate the sport’s royalty, fast starts don’t matter as much as the logo on the helmet.

Alabama’s defense finished with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and four quarterback hurries. Deontae Lawson posted a season‑high 10 tackles, while Justin Jefferson added nine stops and a sack. The Tide’s physicality eventually overwhelmed Oklahoma, which managed just one scoring drive after halftime.

Now Alabama heads to Pasadena for a showdown with No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl. It’s another chance - another opportunity the Tide earned on the field tonight, but also another reminder of how the CFP ecosystem works. Some teams get one shot. Alabama gets as many as it takes.