Ty Simpson thanks naysayers for motivation after Oklahoma win: ‘Appreciate that’
By Ethan Stone
Published:
According to the naysayers and doubters, including a few in South Bend, Indiana, the Alabama Crimson Tide had no business competing in the College Football Playoff on Friday night.
Tide quarterback Ty Simpson and the rest of the Alabama roster heard that noise and used it as fuel to down No. 8 Oklahoma on the road, 34-24. The Crimson Tide posted an otherworldly effort in the final 35 minutes after facing an early 17-0 deficit, tied the game by halftime and never looked back in the second half.
Simpson was a big part of that comeback, obviously. The junior quarterback threw for 232 total yards with 2 touchdown passes on the evening, both thrown to Lotzeir Brooks. When the game was over, Simpson made sure to thank the media and other doubters for the motivation. “You all kind of wrote us off after the SEC Championship game. Appreciate that.”
Kalen DeBoer was asked about using the negative energy around the program cracking the Playoff field, too. When asked specifically whether doubters played a role in Alabama’s inspired effort, DeBoer had the following to say:
“Yeah, there’s no question,” DeBoer told reporters. “The doubt piece, there’s enough confidence within our group to where we can see the doubters, we can see the naysayers, and just go still play our game … You know, this group is tight enough to where there’s never been any finger pointing.”
As OC Ryan Grubb said postgame, the job’s not finished for the Crimson Tide. Far from it. Alabama will now gear up to travel to Pasadena, where they’ll face a red-hot Indiana program in the Rose Bowl.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
