As he walked through the tunnel, Kalen DeBoer ripped his hat off his head. He yelled.
By the time he reached the field where Oklahoma awaited, the Alabama coach smacked the goal post not once, not twice but three times.
It felt like his entrance for the Tennessee game.
But this time, the Crimson Tide didn't follow his lead.
No. 4 Alabama fell to No. 11 Oklahoma, 23-21 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Here's a closer look at the significance of the loss for the Crimson Tide (8-2, 6-1 SEC).
The Crimson Tide found ways to beat itself.
The SEC's best team at limiting turnovers gave the ball away twice in the first half alone.
First, Ty Simpson threw his second interception of the season. Oklahoma took that to the end zone for an 87-yard pick-six.
Then later in the first half, the Sooners recovered a fumble on a punt return. Shortly after, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer ran for a score.
The Sooners tallied 17 first-half points, and 14 of them came from turnovers.
And right before halftime, Alabama had a high snap on a field goal before halftime. Conor Talty then missed the kick as an Oklahoma player partially blocked the attempt.
Then in the second half, the Crimson Tide coughed the ball up again. The Sooners pressured Simpson on third down and got the strip sack in Alabama territory.
The turnovers and gaffes were the equalizers in the game, because when Alabama didn't get in its own way, it often moved the ball and got stops.
But the Crimson Tide couldn't get out of its own way too many times, and that made the difference in the game.
Now Auburn has something for which to play in the Iron Bowl other than pride.
With a victory in two weeks, the Tigers could potentially keep the Crimson Tide out of the playoff. Auburn could also prevent Alabama from playing in the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama fans already dreading the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium now have even more reason to be concerned. The haunted house on the Plains is sure to be rocking now that Auburn can play spoiler to Alabama's season.
Plus, the Tigers are famished in the rivalry. Auburn hasn't defeated the Crimson Tide since 2019.
A chance to prevent a seventh consecutive victory in the rivalry for the Crimson Tide while potentially keeping Alabama out of the playoff is sure to create a hostile environment and difficult game for the Crimson Tide to close out the regular season.
A playoff spot is still within reach, but Alabama has much less room for error now.
10-2 should be good enough to make the field. But 9-3 is where things get interesting.
Alabama might be able to make the playoff even with a 9-3 record considering it has strong wins this season over ranked opponents. But a spot in the 12-team field is far from guaranteed like it would have been had the Crimson Tide defeated the Sooners. A loss in the Iron Bowl and a 9-3 record would essentially put the Crimson Tide's fate in the hands of the playoff committee.
As a result, it's paramount Alabama beats the Tigers in the Iron Bowl so not to leave the decision up to a committee.
As for the SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide can still reach it. There are still some scenarios where Alabama misses out because of certain tiebreakers. But Alabama remains in a good spot to make the conference title game, so long as the Crimson Tide beats Auburn.
No team in the SEC can clinch a spot in the championship game until the final weekend of games, the conference announced Saturday.