NORMAN, Okla. — Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Oklahoma’s John Mateer are both redshirt juniors who play the same position for their respective programs, but the pair of talented quarterbacks will bring contrasting styles when their teams meet Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Simpson, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate for much of the season, is precise and disciplined.
The 6-foot-2, 208-pounder from Martin, Tennessee, has 26 touchdown passes to just five interceptions in his first season as the starter for the Crimson Tide (10-3), who are ranked 11th in the AP Top 25 poll and seeded ninth in the CFP’s 12-team bracket. Simpson doesn’t run much, preferring to distribute the ball and let his receivers do the playmaking.
Mateer (6-1, 224) leans toward being a flashy risk taker. The Washington State transfer from Little Elm, Texas, has thrown 12 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions in his first season with the eighth-ranked, eighth-seeded Sooners (10-2), and he makes spectacular plays with his legs, having rushed for 416 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He can throw an interception on one possession, shake it off, then make a game-changing play with his right arm or his legs on the next drive.
Mateer passed for just 138 yards and ran for 23 yards when Oklahoma faced Alabama a month ago at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, yet the visitors won 23-21. The Sooners dealt the Crimson Tide a regular-season loss in Southeastern Conference play for the second straight November, with Oklahoma having won 24-3 in 2024 at Norman’s Oklahoma Memorial Stadium — where they’re about to meet again with the season on the line.
ABC will provide the main telecast of Friday’s 8 p.m. Eastern showdown, with multiple alternate casts available via ESPN’s family of networks. The winner moves on to face No. 1 Indiana (13-0) in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Mateer’s stats are deceptive, noting that Oklahoma’s offense spreads the field well. Wommack also said Mateer’s running ability makes the Sooners dangerous.
“Ultimately, you have to find creative ways to defend lateral space and still care for a one-plus quarterback system,” Wommack said. “That, to me, is probably what they’ve done a really good job of. They just stretch you laterally with all 11 bodies. You have to be able to defend their one-plus quarterback runs. That will be a great challenge for us on Friday.”
Mateer got off to a strong start this season before injuring his throwing hand against Auburn on Sept. 20. He had surgery and missed a game before returning and struggling in a loss to Red River rival Texas. He got back on track and threw just one interception across a trio of November wins over ranked opponents Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, a stretch of success that put the Sooners in position to reach the playoff.
He showed the gamut of what makes him exciting in the regular-season finale against LSU. Mateer passed for 318 yards, but he also threw three interceptions that almost derailed the Sooners’ playoff bid. He saved himself with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna III in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma won 17-13.
Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said Mateer’s approach to ball security has been a focus in recent weeks.
“I think it comes down to just taking your layups,” Arbuckle said. “There’s a basketball reference for you. I mean just taking the layups, taking the easy stuff whenever it’s there. Not trying to make something if it’s not there, just making your smart decisions whether it’s in the run game, the RPO (run-pass option) game or the drop-back pass game, maybe trying not to force something, find a checkdown, something of that sort.”
Still, Arbuckle doesn’t want to take Mateer’s playmaking instincts away. In addition to the late touchdown pass against LSU, Mateer scored the winning touchdown on a 9-yard run against Auburn and provided the decisive touchdown on a 1-yard run at Tennessee with less than two minutes remaining.
Arbuckle, who was also Mateer’s offensive coordinator at Washington State last season, has learned to trust his quarterback in those clutch situations.
“Everyone knows there’s moments in the football game where you have to go make a play,” Arbuckle said. “Sometimes it’s not there. Well, you have to go make it; you have to do whatever you can to execute in that moment and in that situation.”
Simpson, an AP All-SEC second-team pick, passed for 326 yards in the first meeting with Oklahoma.
“He played pretty good against us,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “Threw for over 300 yards, the first half had a lot of success. He climbs the pocket, he’s patient, got great confidence, he’s got tremendous arm talent, a fantastic athlete, great competitor. He’s got a natural leadership ability. He’s a guy that doesn’t flinch very easy.”
Simpson also had an interception returned for a touchdown in the first half of the Oklahoma game and was held to 80 passing yards in the second half. Oklahoma sacked him four times that night.
Simpson also struggled in the SEC title game against Georgia on Dec. 6, completing just 19 of 39 passes for 212 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 28-7 loss. Still, he believes the Tide have taken the right steps to get back in synch as no margin for error remains in the loss column from here on out.
“I think it goes back to just one, communication, in general,” he said. “You know, just one-word calls in the huddle or on the line of scrimmage. Two, the little details. Whether it’s in the routes, our footwork, my footwork, and honestly, just doing our jobs.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
FIRST ROUND
Friday, Dec. 19
No. 9 Alabama (10-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2), 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 20
No. 10 Miami (10-2) at No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1), noon (ABC/ESPN)
No. 11 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6 Ole Mss (11-1), 3:30 p.m. (HBO Max/TNT)
No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No. 5 Oregon (11-1), 7:30 p.m. (HBO Max/TNT)
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QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas
No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio St., 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, Jan. 1
Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, noon (ESPN)
Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl Stadium; Pasadena, Calif.
No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl at Superdome; New Orleans
No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
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SEMIFINALS
Thursday, Jan. 8
Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium; Glendale, Ariz.
Cotton Bowl winner vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Jan. 9
Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Atlanta
Orange Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Monday, Jan. 19
At Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)