TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Oklahoma players and coaches gathered in different spots around Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, posing for pictures and savoring every second of the team’s best win as an SEC member and its best under fourth-year coach Brent Venables.

When the 11th-ranked Sooners finally retreated to their locker room, their victory playlist began with “Dixieland Delight,” Alabama’s cherished late-game anthem, and then, of course, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Written off in most College Football Playoff projections after its home loss to Ole Miss on Oct. 25, Oklahoma responded with consecutive road wins against Tennessee and Saturday at No. 4 Alabama, holding off the Tide 23-21.

The Sooners recorded their first road win against a top-five opponent since their victory over Ohio State in 2017, featuring another famous postgame celebration with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s flag-plant at Ohio Stadium. OU ended Alabama’s 17-game home winning streak and became the first team to beat the Tide in consecutive seasons since Ole Miss in 2014 and 2015. The Sooners also registered their fourth win against an AP-ranked opponent this season, tying Alabama for the most in the FBS.

“I’m not a boastful or braggadocious kind of guy, but, man, I’m going to brag on our guys, and they deserve it,” Venables said. “They put a lot into this opportunity, and we’ve created vision for that, so I got to follow through. I’m like, ‘Hey, man, this is what victory looks like. This is how we’re going to do it. And I want to see you guys dancing, carrying on, just having some joy in the moment.'”

Oklahoma won despite generating only 212 yards of offense, its fewest since 2022 and OU’s fewest in a win since 2001 against No. 5 Texas. The Sooners rode their defense, which forced three Alabama turnovers, half of the Tide’s season total entering Saturday, and scored on Eli Bowen‘s 87-yard interception return in the first quarter.

The defense needed one final stop as Alabama took possession with 7:14 play, needing only a field goal to win. Even after “Dixieland Delight” sent the crowd into a frenzy and Alabama converted a key fourth down, an Oklahoma defense playing without top pass rusher R Mason Thomas and others clamped down on the Tide, who were held scoreless for the final 22:27.

“It was all red, and the lights were on, but we fed off the energy,” Oklahoma defensive lineman Taylor Wein, who had a strip-sack fumble and two quarterback hurries, said of hearing “Dixieland Delight” in the closing minutes. “Little do they know, they think that they’re feeling their team, they’re feeling us, they’re getting us ready to go.”

Wein was one of many Oklahoma players wearing a T-shirt that read “Hard to Kill” on the front and “Enough is Enough” on the back after the game. The Sooners stressed those themes after the loss to Ole Miss, recognizing that a third defeat would probably end their CFP hopes.

“How much is enough?” said kicker Tate Sandell, who went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder. “It’s just having that mindset of staying alive, blue collar, roll your sleeves up and just find a way, and being hard to kill in the process.”

Venables thought the Sooners could “separate ourselves” on special teams, and they delivered, not only with Sandell’s field goals but forcing a Ryan Williams fumble on an Alabama punt return and partially blocking a Conor Talty field goal attempt at the end of the first half to preserve a 17-14 lead. The Sooners had 10 points off turnovers and overcame the massive yards differential by limiting major mistakes and doing the little things to win.

“Who’s it not pretty for? What does that mean?” a smiling Venables asked. “I happen to like it.”

Oklahoma had a more dominant defensive effort last year against Alabama, keeping the Tide out of the end zone. But the 2024 Sooners lost their final two games to finish 6-7 and raised questions about the trajectory under Venables, a first-time head coach.

But this season’s OU team has responded to both of its losses and key injuries, including to quarterback John Mateer, to be in position for a return to the CFP.

“They haven’t flinched,” Venables said. “When the fire is raging and things are looking a little desolate, they have responded several times this year, and they certainly have the last couple of weeks, when it mattered the most. They put respect on our brand again this week.”

Oklahoma must refocus for home games against Missouri and LSU, but the magnitude of Saturday’s win will resonate.

“The pictures after the game, you love the moments, the memories you create,” defensive tackle David Stone said. “We’ll have that for a lifetime.”

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.

With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.

Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.

He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.

Former Penn State head coach James Franklin and Virginia Tech are in early stages of talks, with some resolution on his candidacy expected in the coming days, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Virginia Tech is still running a full search, but it’s clear there is mutual interest between the parties, per sources.

Virginia Tech fired coach Brent Pry on Sept. 14, a day after a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion dropped the Hokies to 0-3 to start the season.

Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12 after 12 seasons following three straight losses, culminating with the Nittany Lions dropping their second straight home game when they fell to Northwestern 22-21 in front of a stunned crowd at Happy Valley.

Less than a year removed from an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Franklin’s program appeared to hit a new low when the Nittany Lions traveled to Los Angeles two weeks prior to that only to lose to UCLA, a team that not only was winless but hadn’t previously held a lead all season.

Earlier in the season, when the three-game losing streak began against Oregon at Happy Valley, Franklin fell to 4-21 at Penn State against AP top-10 opponents, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams in conference games.

Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams is tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936, according to ESPN Research.

Franklin won 104 games and reached double-digit wins six times in 11 seasons at Penn State, including the previous three.