**Sooners Secure Bowl Eligibility with Upset Win Over Alabama**

In the final home game of the 2024-25 season, the Oklahoma Sooners faced a daunting injury list yet managed to claim a significant 24-3 victory over Alabama. The Sooners played without key players Jovantae Barnes, Jalil Farooq, and Deion Burks. Barnes missed back-to-back games, while Farooq and Burks were sidelined due to injuries sustained earlier in the season.

With no Barnes to rely on, Oklahoma turned to its freshman running back duo, Taylor Tatum and Xavier Robinson. Robinson, who had recently decided to forgo his redshirt status, delivered a promising performance in the previous game against Missouri with nine carries for 56 yards. In this game, he continued to shine, electrifying the crowd with a 40-yard run on his first play. However, the momentum was short-lived as Tatum fumbled on the next play, setting up an Alabama field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Oklahoma attempted a response by reaching the red zone but faced misfortune once more with a botched double-pass play. Brenen Thompson's pass to an open Bauer Sharp in the end zone was dropped, and Zach Schmit's subsequent 39-yard field goal attempt missed wide. To make matters worse, Thompson sustained an ankle injury, leaving Oklahoma without its top six wide receivers.

Despite the setbacks, the Sooners managed to tie the game at 3-3 with Schmit's successful 29-yard field goal. The Oklahoma offensive line, featuring Logan Howland, Heath Ozaeta, Troy Everett, Febechi Nwaiwu, and Spencer Brown, paved the way for an impressive 205 rushing yards in the first half. Robinson led the charge, capping off the first half with an 18-yard touchdown run that gave Oklahoma a 10-3 lead at halftime. Robinson ended the half with eight carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, emerging as a key player in the final stretch of the season.

The second half saw even more impressive performances from the Oklahoma defense. Freshman cornerback Eli Bowen intercepted Alabama's Jalen Milroe on the opening drive, returning it to the 14-yard line. Robinson then powered in a 1-yard touchdown, extending the Sooners' lead to 17-3. The night got worse for Alabama when Kip Lewis intercepted Milroe and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, further extending Oklahoma's lead to 24-3.

In the fourth quarter, woodi Washington added a final touch to the Sooners' defensive dominance with an interception, clinching the upset victory and securing bowl eligibility for Oklahoma. The win also sparked a jubilant field storm in Norman, the first since 2000.

The victory over Alabama has Oklahoma looking ahead with a bowl bid in hand as they prepare to close out the regular season with a game against LSU in Baton Rouge next weekend. The Sooners aim to finish the season strong with a potential 7-5 record.