The Peach Bowl was one of two College Football Playoff semifinal games, which pitted the two of the four teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee—Oklahoma of the Big 12, and LSU from the SEC, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Fiesta Bowl in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.

The Sooners entered the bowl with a 12–1 record (8–1 in conference); their only loss was to Kansas State, 48–41.

Oklahoma was 0–3 in prior CFP semifinals, most recently losing to Alabama in the 2018 Orange Bowl.

On December 18, media outlets reported that starting defensive end Ronnie Perkins and two other Oklahoma players had received suspensions and would not play in the game.

[5] On December 20, it was reported that starting safety Delarrin Turner-Yell would also miss the game, due to a broken collarbone.