Ty Simpson reveals how belief, trust, and composure flipped the night in Norman.
Ty Simpson says doubt never entered Alabama’s sideline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For a few moments Friday night in Norman, the scoreboard suggested trouble. Alabama trailed 17-0 on the road in a College Football Playoff game, the kind of deficit designed to rattle even seasoned teams. It never reached Ty Simpson.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind at all,” Simpson said afterward. “Seventeen nothing is nothing to us.”
That belief did not arrive suddenly. It had been built over months of situational reps, hard lessons, and an internal standard that refuses to bend. On Alabama’s first touchdown drive, facing fourth and two, Simpson’s message was simple. Keep going. Know the read. Trust the players.
He did exactly that.
Simpson delivered a calm strike that ignited the comeback and settled the offense. On the same drive, Lotzeir Brooks hauled in a critical third down catch, a moment that steadied Alabama and reminded everyone why this roster never panics. Big time players make big time plays, Simpson said, and Alabama has plenty of them.
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The quarterback’s composure matched his stat line. Simpson finished 18 of 29 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, managing the game rather than forcing it. Alabama responded by closing the night on a decisive 34 to 7 run, turning a hostile environment into a quiet one as the Crimson Tide pulled away from the Sooners.
Asked if recent criticism and doubts played a role, Simpson smiled. “I guess we can thank you guys for that,” he said. Alabama heard the noise. It simply chose not to live in it.
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Even the spectacle of the night failed to distract him. Simpson admitted he did not realize 50 Cent was on the sideline until later. He knew the song. He knew the rhythm. The Tide kept playing.
When the comeback was complete and Alabama had moved on, Simpson reached for a familiar line. Borrowed from Kobe Bryant, it fit the night perfectly.
“We’re not done yet.”
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