The 9th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and 8th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners see each other a second time with high stakes as the first matchup in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The 2025 College Football Playoff begins with No. 9 Alabama taking on No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman. The winner will advance to face No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Follow for live play-by-play updates and the latest news and analysis from The Athletic’s college football staff.

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners meet Friday in a College Football Playoff first-round game. Kickoff in Norman, Oklahoma, is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Roll Tide Wire make their picks for Friday night's CFP first round showdown between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners.

It is rare for two college football heavyweights to get this familiar with one another so quickly, but that is what we will see in prime time.  When Oklahoma and Alabama collide on Friday night, it will mark the third time in just 13 months that these titans have crossed paths.

The College Football Playoff countdown is on in Norman, and the Alabama Crimson Tide are making their way to the Sooner state.