2014 Sugar Bowl

The 2014 Sugar Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 2, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 80th annual Sugar Bowl, it featured the #10 (AP ranked), #11 (BCS ranked) Oklahoma Sooners of the Big 12 Conference and the #3-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference. The game was broadcast live on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. EST. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. It was sponsored by the Allstate insurance company and was officially known as the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Oklahoma was selected to participate in the Sugar Bowl after a 10–2 season that culminated in a 33–24 victory over Oklahoma State. Alabama was selected as the other half of the matchup after an 11–1 season that ended in a 34–28 loss to Auburn.

Oklahoma defeated Alabama 45–31, in the process overcoming the largest spread in BCS history; Alabama had been a 17½-point favorite. The previous record of 16½ points was overcome just the day before in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, won by the UCF Knights 52–42 over the Baylor Bears. Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight, who completed 32 of 44 passes for 4 touchdowns and 348 yards, was named the game's most valuable player.

Traditionally, the Sugar Bowl hosts the SEC champion. However, the SEC champion played in the BCS National Championship Game every year from 2006 onward. This streak continued when 2013 champion Auburn was selected to play in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. The Sugar Bowl thus had the first pick of SEC teams after Auburn, and selected Alabama. In choosing its At-Large participant, the Sugar Bowl committee bypassed #10 Oregon in favor of #11 Oklahoma.

The 2014 Sugar Bowl marked the fifth time the two teams have played each other. Oklahoma won the last meeting 20–13 in 2003. Oklahoma came into the game leading the series 2-1-1.

Oklahoma entered the game with a 10-2 (7-2 conference) record. The Sooners began the season ranked #16 in the AP Poll. Oklahoma won their first 5 games of the season before losing to Texas in the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners went 5–1 in the second half of the regular season, which culminated in a victory over Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series. Oklahoma finished the regular season 2nd in the Big 12. The 2013 season also saw Bob Stoops become the winningest football coach in Oklahoma history.

Oklahoma came into the game with the 23rd ranked scoring defense in the nation, allowing 21.3 points per game. In the 2013 season, the Sooners saw quarterback duties split between Blake Bell and Trevor Knight. Bell was the leading passer on the team, passing for 1,648 yards, 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Coach Stoops declined to name a starting quarterback before the game.

The 2014 Sugar Bowl marked Oklahoma's seventh appearance in the game. The Sooners lost their previous Sugar Bowl appearance in 2004 in a 14–21 defeat to the Nick Saban coached LSU Tigers. The game also marked Bob Stoops' record ninth appearance in a BCS bowl game. Stoops entered the 2014 Sugar Bowl with a 3–5 record in BCS bowls.