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Bowen brothers help Oklahoma upset Bama, keep CFP hopes alive
Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Peyton Bowen. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Bowen brothers help strengthen Oklahoma's playoff chances with upset of Alabama

The No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners did themselves a huge favor in their quest for a College Football Playoff spot on Saturday with an absolutely massive 23-21 win at No. 4 Alabama

It was not a flawless performance by any means, and the Sooners offense did not have a great day accounting for just 212 total yards, but nobody is going to ask about the how or the style points when it comes to beating a top-five team on the road. 

The result was the important thing. Oklahoma got it, and the secondary duo of brothers Eli Bowen and Peyton Bowen were the biggest difference-makers. 

Bowen brothers lift Oklahoma to massive win

The first big defensive play of the game came in the first quarter when Eli Bowen picked off a Ty Simpson pass and raced 87 yards for a touchdown to give the Sooners a 10-0 lead. 

That was an early seismic swing in the game as it not only took potential Alabama points off the board, but it also gave Oklahoma seven points. It was at least a 10-point swing and potentially a 14-point swing. In a game that was decided by only two points, it was a game-changer. 

In the fourth quarter, with Alabama attempting to drive for a potential game-winning field goal, Peyton Bowen ended up making the decisive play to break up a Simpson fourth-down pass to deliver the knockout punch for the game. 

Oklahoma entered Saturday's game on the outside of the playoff picture despite its No. 11 ranking, but will almost certainly be back into the mix following a road win over a top-five team.

With games against unranked Missouri and LSU remaining on the schedule, the Sooners may have very well put themselves into a position where simply taking care of their own business the rest of the way might be enough. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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