Lots of adjectives have been used to describe this OU offense, but before Friday's CFP game vs Alabama, one word keeps coming to mind: fascinating.

The Sooners are chasing history in the first round of the CFP. No team has ever defeated Alabama twice in the same season. Oklahoma is also chasing its first playoff win, entering with a 0-4 record all-time in the CFP.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Alabama Crimson Tide are set to play a College Football Playoff game against one another. The only thing is, this one isn't a neutral-site game – Oklahoma is hosting it. That means the atmosphere advantage will fall into OU's hands, just as it did for Bama six weeks ago in Tuscaloosa.

And Venables went back to doing what he does best — hiring himself as defensive coordinator after his protege, Zac Alley, left for West Virginia. The 2025 Sooner defense rivals the best defenses Venables coordinated at Clemson in the 2010s and at OU in the early 2000s.

OU football defensive end R Mason Thomas is available for the Sooners' College Football Playoff game vs. Alabama.

Alabama's CFP first round opponent, Oklahoma has many names to know, headlined by the 2025 Lou Groza Award winner.

Owen Heinecke's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, as he navigated a remarkable path from a high school dual-sport standout to an unlikely star for the Oklahoma Sooners football team.

OU football star sophomore defensive lineman Jayden Jackson has played through injury this season. The time off before the CFP has been beneficial.