Joe Drape: This is the way national title games should go: Tua Tagovailoa with a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith. Nick Saban says it all after the game: “Is it that a good game or what?” Why the change, Nick? “I thought we needed to throw the ball and he could do it better.”
Here’s a drive-by-drive look at how Alabama won the national championship:
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Q4, 0:00: Alabama misses field goal. We’re headed to overtime.
Alabama had a chance to win the game on a 36-yard field goal attempt by Andy Pappanastos, but the kicker missed wide left, sending the game to overtime.
Alabama’s drive had started with Najee Harris being knocked for a 1-yard loss. Harris then took the ball to the right side and very nearly got brought down at the line of scrimmage before stumbling for an 11-yard gain and a first down.
Tua Tagovailoa hit Calvin Ridley for a 9-yard gain, which had 15 yards tacked onto it thanks to a face mask by Malkom Parrish, then got 6 yards by running the ball. A handoff to Harris went for no gain, setting up a 3rd-and-3, which Tagovailoa took care of himself with a run to the left side where he fought through tacklers for the first down.
Alabama ran the clock down before sending Pappanastos out for the attempt to win the game, but he missed badly.
Drape: Got to feel bad for Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos. He had missed 2 of his past 3 kicks entering the game. When he lined up for a 35-yard field goal early in the game, his attempt split the uprights. But Alabama was called for a false start, pushing Pappanastos back an extra five yards. He missed. It foreshadowed perhaps the kick he had to win the game from 36 yards with .03 seconds left. He hooked it left. Pappanastos, a senior, was just 16 of 21 on the season.
4Q, 2:55: Three-and-out for Georgia gives Alabama another shot.
With the game all tied up, Georgia had a chance to retake control, but they went three-and-out, with Jake Fromm’s third down pass sailing well out of D’Andre Swift’s reach. The Bulldogs punted the ball away and Alabama has a chance to win the game with just under three minutes to play.
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4Q, 3:49: Alabama ties it up.
Tua Tagovailoa did not look like a true freshman when he hit Calvin Ridley for a 7-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-4 that along with the extra point tied this game at 20-20.
Alabama got a quick start on a screen pass to Damien Harris that the running back caught in the backfield before picking up 17 yards. A short run by Tagovailoa, and an incomplete pass set up a 3rd-and-9, which Georgia gave them by way of a pass interference call that resulted in a 35-yard penalty.
Given fresh life, the Crimson Tide picked up another 20 yards on a pass from Tagovailoa to Jerry Jeudy and nearly got a touchdown on a pass to Calvin Ridley on the next play before the ball fell to the ground.
Tagovailoa ran to Georgia’s 6-yard line, Harris got hit for a 1-yard loss, Alabama went for it on 4th-and-4 and then Tagovailoa hit Ridley for the game-tying score.
Drape: Great third down stuff by Georgia’s Thompson. Bama is 14 of 17 on 4th down. They went for it. And ... Big Brother Ridley hauls it in for Tagovailoa. So now it’s all tied up at 20-20. Give it to the kid quarterback: he keeps his poise and drills it into traffic. Big Brother Ridley, you are back in the top bunk.
4Q, 7:10: Georgia stalls again, giving Alabama a chance.
Georgia is not able to keep its offense on the field, which is giving Alabama a lot of opportunities to get back into this game.
A direct snap to Nick Chubb fooled no one and the running back was hit for a 1-yard loss. Georgia then got 9 yards from Mecole Hardman on a sweep to the right. Sony Michel went up the middle to try to extend the drive but he was stopped immediately, forcing a punt.
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The Crimson Tide now have the ball down seven points with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.
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Drape: Georgia’s offensive coordinator Jim Chaney got too cute on this drive. Two Wild (Dawg) calls that went nowhere. Let Fromm win or lose it. He’s gotten you that far. Seven minutes left. Now, it’s Georgia’s defensive line against the freshman quarterback. We’ll see if Nick Saban is worth his $7 million a year here.
4Q, 9:24: Another field goal for Alabama cuts into Georgia’s lead.
The Crimson Tide would have liked a touchdown, but after a pass was nearly intercepted in the end zone they should be happy with a field goal that made the score 20-13.
Alabama was steadily moving down the field, taking what Georgia would give them before Najee Harris uncorked a 36-yard run to the left side of the field, fighting past tacklers all the way.
Harris had another short run before Tua Tagovailoa just missed Jerry Jeudy on a throw to the end zone, setting up a 3rd-and-8 from Georgia’s 12-yard line. Georgia burned a timeout and then Tagovailoa took another shot into the end zone, just missing Jeudy on a ball that was very nearly intercepted by Dominick Sanders.
That brought out Andy Pappanastos, who hit from 30 yards out to pull within seven points.
Drape: These two teams are hitting harder the deeper into the game we go. Harris was punishing on his 36-yard run. On the big 3rd-and-8 from the 12-yard line, Saban lets Tagovailoa throw it. It looked like it was intercepted by Sanders, who already has 16 interceptions, but it doesn’t stand up to review. In Vegas, you are still ahead if you took the Dawgs plus 6.
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4Q, 11:39: Georgia starts working the clock.
Starting the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, Georgia was clearly thinking about the clock and they started their drive with four consecutive running plays by Sony Michel, accounting for 31 yards. Michel was spelled by Nick Chubb, who ran twice for 6 yards. But on 3rd-and-4, Nick Fromm dropped back to pass and was crushed to the ground by Raekwon Davis for a 9-yard sack, forcing the Bulldogs to punt and keeping Alabama in the game.
3Q, 0:08: Georgia’s defense keeps Tagovailoa in check.
Alabama got a quick first down with a 16-yard run by Bo Scarbrough, but a 7-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Calvin Ridley was followed by a run by Scarbrough for no gain and a pass from Tagovailoa to Scarbrough for 1 yard, leading to a punt.
Drape: This title game delivered what it promised: two hard-nosed teams from the best conference in college football, the S.E.C. Every series matters. I still can’t believe Nick Saban replaced his 25-2, two title-game starter, with a freshman.
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Q3, 1:55: Fromm’s third-down magic runs out.
After the kickoff, Georgia got 15 yards for free thanks to an unnecessary roughness call against Alabama’s Mekhi Brown, who continued to rant and rave on the sideline when he was pulled out of the game.
Nick Chubb did not get far on two runs, giving Jake Fromm yet another big third down opportunity, and the freshman capitalized with a 13-yard pass to Riley Ridley, who has been superb all game.
The third-down magic was nowhere to be found a few plays later on an incomplete pass to Ridley, setting up a Georgia punt.
Q3, 5:15: Alabama cuts into Georgia’s lead.
An Alabama field goal made it 20-10 in Georgia’s favor.
Given a short field thanks to the interception, Alabama ran the ball twice, picking up a first down, and then Tua Tagovailoa took a shot at the end zone with a pass that sailed over the hands of Cam Sims. Tagovailoa was nearly intercepted on second down when a bad drop by Calvin Ridley popped into the air, and then the drive stalled with an incomplete pass on third down.
Andy Pappanastos came out and hit a 43-yard field goal to pull within 10 points.
Drape: Critical drive coming up here. Nick Saban rolled the dice with Tua Tagovailoa. Briefly looked like a genius, but ultimately gets an interception by the freshman, and eventually a field goal. Bad penalty sets up the Dawgs. A touchdown puts this out of reach.
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3Q, 6:21: Alabama’s defense takes the ball back.
Alabama answered an interception with one of their own. On the first play of Georgia’s drive, Jake Fromm threw to his left, had it deflect off the helmet of a defensive lineman, and then fall into the hands of Raekwon Davis for the turnover.
3Q, 6:32: Tagovailoa throws into trouble.
Not wanting Jake Fromm to get all the fun, Tua Tagovailoa again threw deep on the first play of a drive, but this one fell incomplete just in front of DeVonta Smith. On second down he rolled out to his left and forced a bad pass down the sideline, which was intercepted by Georgia’s Deandre Baker. As good as Tagovailoa looked on the previous drive, the pick was exactly what you would expect from a true freshman pushed into such a difficult circumstance.
3Q, 6:52: Georgia answers with an 80-yard touchdown.
Alabama had made it a football game with Tua Tagovailoa’s thrilling touchdown drive, and their special teams piled on by pinning Georgia down at their own 7-yard line to start their next drive. But Jake Fromm was not intimidated. Fromm’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman made the score 20-7 in Georgia’s favor.
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Fromm started the drive by immediately picking up a first down with a 14-yard pass over the middle to Terry Godwin, but Nick Chubb gave 8 yards of that back when Anthony Averett dropped him deep in the backfield.
Chubb ran up the middle for 7 yards, getting the Bulldogs to 3rd-and-11, and Fromm aggressively threw deep to Hardman on the sideline. The sophomore wide receiver fought past the coverage for the long touchdown and the play stood up to a review by officials.
Drape: Wow! I say it again because we are a public forum. But Fromm to Hardman for 80 yards on 3rd and 18 is pretty spectacular. Saban, who some of our readers say never panics, has to be a bit puckered now. Still, it’s a great game. Bring on Tua Tagovailoa!
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3Q, 8:52: And just like that, Alabama is back in it.
Tua Tagovailoa showed why Nick Saban put him in. The true freshman led a drive that was far more impressive than anything Jalen Hurts had offered, and he got the Crimson Tide their first touchdown of the game, narrowing Georgia’s lead to 13-7.
He started with beautiful deep pass to Calvin Ridley that nearly went for a 44-yard touchdown, but the ball was just out Ridley’s hands and it fell incomplete. On the next play he saw no openings and fought for a 3-yard gain, lowering his shoulder into a defender at the tail end of the play.
On 3rd-and-7 the pass protection was broken down and he cut to the right of the field before cheating back to the left for a 9-yard gain, and then picked up 39 more yards with a completion to Robert Foster and two to Henry Ruggs III.
With a 1st-and-goal from Georgia’s 6-yard line, Tagovailoa again found Ruggs for the touchdown, dramatically changing the landscape of this game.
Drape: Nice Alabama drive keyed by Tua Tagovailoa. His third down scramble was the key play. Chris Fowler says we have a “Freshman Quarterback Duel.” Hurts is the first one on the field to congratulate his rival on the touchdown. The balance inches back to Nick as a genius, but I’m doubling down on panic.
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3Q, 10:51: Tide’s defense picks up the intensity.
Alabama’s offense may have looked slow coming out of the locker room, but the Tide’s defense was clearly fired up, forcing consecutive plays of negative yards before Georgia’s drive fizzled out with a 4-yard run by D’Andre Swift. The Bulldogs had the ball for just 93 seconds of clock time, but the team’s fans were left angry about a missed face mask call on Swift’s second-down run which went for minus-8 yards.
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3Q, 13:03: Alabama switches quarterbacks, but gets same result.
Alabama started the half with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback rather than Jalen Hurts. It was a somewhat surprising change, which means both teams are playing true freshmen at quarterback.
Tagovailoa’s opening drive did not make much of a change in the offense as he ran for 4 yards and passed for 2 before a sack left them with a 3rd-and-8, effectively ending their drive. Alabama had a short injury delay while Jonah Williams was treated on the field, but they eventually punted the ball away.
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Drape: Nick Saban is either panicking or a genius. He’s put in Tagovailoa in at quarterback, a freshman, after saying it wasn’t Jalen Hurts’s fault the Tide struggled in the first half. I vote for panicking. He has decided that he can’t stop Georgia, and needs to score with them. Hurts is 25-2. At least we know now that Robo-Coach Saban is human after all. Kirby Smart has gotten under Nick’s skin.
Here’s the view from Vegas:
Here’s what’s going on in Las Vegas, according to our friends at William Hill. In the second half, Bama is giving 6 points, which means the money is coming in and expects the Crimson Tide to outscore the Dawgs by 6 points in this next half. The over/under for second half points is 23. So the smart money expects a strong half from Alabama. If you are a betting man, like me, I’d take Georgia plus 6 and the under for the second half. An interesting note: In January, you could have gotten Georgia to win the championship at odds of 40-1. Bama? 3-1.
2Q, 0:07: Bulldogs head into the locker room with a 13-0 lead.
Georgia did not have much time to work with, but they had all three timeouts remaining, so they decided to be aggressive heading into halftime. It paid off, with Mecole Hardman taking a direct-snap into the end zone from 1 yard out for the first touchdown of the game and a 13-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
The drive started with 1:19 remaining in the half, and Jake Fromm immediately found Riley Ridley for a 10-yard gain. Fromm was nearly intercepted a few plays later, but when Alabama’s Anthony Averett failed to get his hands on the ball, the Bulldogs capitalized by getting 14 yards on the ground from Sony Michel on the next play.
An Alabama penalty got Georgia 5 more yards, D’Andre Swift ran for 7 and Fromm, not seeing any good receiving options, pulled the ball down and reeled off a 14-yard run of his own.
With a short field in front of him, Fromm threw aggressively to Terry Godwin for a 16-yard gain near the goal line setting up a 1st-and-goal from the 3. A roughing the passer call got Georgia all the way to the Alabama 1-yard line, and Hardman took the ball on a direct-snap, running into the end zone easily.
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Drape: Wonderful call by Georgia offensive coordinator Jim Chaney to run the Wildcat — a snap to Mecole Hardman, who waltzes to the corner. This game is far from over. Nick Saban is frustrated in his halftime interview, but he purposefully doesn’t lay it on quarterback Jalen Hurts. Georgia’s Kirby Smart is understated and says Jake Fromm is making good decisions. Fromm is going to make Dawg fans forget Buck Belue with another half like that (not really). I’m not putting this in the victory column for Georgia yet. Saban and the Tide are too good — see five national championships — but that was a big score to end the half.
Tracy: To go off Joe’s point, the past two national title games — both of which also involved Alabama — were shootouts whose final scores were 35-31 and 45-40. At halftime of those games, the scores were, respectively, 14-7 and 21-7. If past is prologue, the second half will involve substantially more scoring than the first.
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2Q, 1:19: Nothing for Alabama.
Alabama’s offense is not doing anything right now. Georgia forced a three-and-out, with the Crimson Tide getting seven yards on a pair of runs before an incomplete pass and a punt completed their drive.
2Q, 2:14: Georgia’s Javon Wims goes to locker room.
A nice punt resulted in Georgia starting from their own 5-yard line, and with so little room to work they settled for two short runs by Nick Chubb before Jake Fromm stepped back into the pocket and found Riley Ridley in the middle of the field for a huge 16-yard completion. It was Ridley’s third big catch of the game, helping somewhat alleviate the concern of Javon Wims having gone into Georgia’s locker room to be evaluated for an injury.
Georgia quickly found itself in another third down situation, but this time Fromm’s throw was well off its mark, skipping to the ground in front of Mecole Hardman.
The Bulldogs were forced to punt, but thanks to Ridley’s catch the field position is not nearly as bad as it could have been.
2Q, 5:15: Tide offense shows some life, but stalls out.
Alabama got a huge start to the drive on a delayed keeper by Jalen Hurts that went for 31 yards, with Georgia seemingly having been caught on their heels. But the Bulldogs quickly made up for that mistake when Davin Bellamy got a huge 6-yard sack on 2nd-and-9. Josh Jacob ran the ball for 5 yards and then the Crimson Tide punted yet again, showing little sign of having figured out Georgia’s defense.
2Q, 7:33: Another Georgia drive ends in a field goal.
Georgia started using all of their weapons and had the team’s best drive of the game, but after failing to get into the end zone after reaching 1st-and-goal, they settled for a 27-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship that increased their lead to 6-0.
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Looking to capitalize on getting the ball back so quickly after they had taken the lead, the Bulldogs started things off when Jake Fromm hit D’Andre Swift with a screen pass that went for 15 yards. Runs by Nick Chubb and Fromm picked up a second first down. Then Fromm aggressively challenged the Alabama defense by throwing downfield, and it worked, with Riley Ridley contributing a 23-yard catch-and-run while Javon Wims made a circus catch on the sideline that stood up to an official review.
That set up a 1st-and-goal from Alabama’s 10-yard line, but the Bulldogs stalled out, setting up Blankenship for yet another kick.
Drape: Wow, how big has freshman Jake Fromm been? That was a big throw to Riley Ridley, and even a bigger one to Wims to take them into the red zone. He almost made a freshman mistake on 3rd & 6. The Dawgs should have had 7 there. A 6-0 lead over Alabama is not enough after you’ve pushed them around.
2Q, 12:52: Alabama fails to answer Georgia’s scoring drive.
After a touchback, Alabama started at their own 25 and they answered Georgia’s scoring drive by going absolutely nowhere. Two runs and an incomplete pass generated only 4 yards before the Crimson Tide punted the ball away. Georgia had an injury delay early in the drive when David Marshall, a sophomore linebacker, was slow to get up after a running play before being taken to a medical tent for further evaluation.
Drape: Here is what Alabama was worried about before the game, and is now in a full blown panic. The Georgia defensive front is strong and harassing. They totally owned Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, the Heisman winner. Jalen Hurts looks lost. Unless the Tide opens up a ground game, Hurts is going to be hurting, and the Dawgs are going to be rolling over the Tide.
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2Q, 14:14: Georgia settles for a field goal, and the lead.
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia finally had something working, but they failed to convert on 3rd-and-11 to start the second quarter and Rodrigo Blankenship came out to hit a 41-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
It took several frustrating attempts to get Georgia’s running game on track, but on a 3rd-and-20 near the end of the first quarter the Bulldogs chose to run the ball and Sony Michel broke free on the right sideline, sprinting for a 26-yard run that woke up Georgia’s offense.
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Before Michel’s run it had looked like yet another drive would end in a quick punt. Alabama’s Anthony Averett delivered a huge sack on a 2nd-and-10 play, sending Georgia all the way from Alabama’s 42-yard line to Georgia’s 48-yard line. But despite the Crimson Tide’s powerful front-seven having sniffed out and demolished both Nick Chubb and Michel on most of their previous attempts, Georgia went with a run on the 3rd-and-long and were rewarded with a huge gain, eventually setting up Blankenship’s kick.
Drape: Hot Rod Blankenship, the Dawgs kicker is a helluva story. Him of the Kurt Rambis glasses. He was a preferred walk-on with former Coach Mark Richt. But Kirby Smart was slow to put him on scholarship. He did eventually the day before the Notre Dame game, which Hot Rod won with a field goal. He went for 55-yards against Oklahoma. He may be the difference here. In fact, he already is.
1Q, 6:54: Alabama offense sputters.
After two short plays, Alabama was faced with a 3rd-and-3, and it was fairly obvious that Jalen Hurts would be running the ball. Georgia sniffed the keeper out immediately, easily stopping the quarterback for a loss of one yard. The quiet start to the game continues with Alabama punting the ball away.
Drape: It’s early, but this game is looking promising. Hurts is going to need to run tonight. He’s more Blake Bortles than Drew Brees, and there is nothing wrong with that. But these two staffs have the other measured so far.
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1Q, 9:01: Georgia, a great running team, keeps passing.
Through two possessions, Georgia, which ran all over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, has passed on every single offensive play. Jake Fromm has completed just 3 of 7 passes for 17 yards as Sony Michel and Nick Chubb have been relegated to decoy work thus far. The strategy is not working as of yet, with Georgia having just one first down to go with one turnover and one punt.
Drape: I like the fact Georgia is wide open. They do have a ground game, but they are challenging Bama’s secondary. As our colleague Marc Tracy pointed out, Jalen Hurts is a game manager. He is there to make good decisions. These are the opening rounds of a heavyweight fight and neither team is backing down.
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1Q, 9:54: Tide fails to convert after interception.
Alabama got painfully close to putting the ball in the end zone but they settled for a 40-yard field goal attempt by Andy Pappanastos that missed wide-left, keeping the game scoreless.
The Crimson Tide had started at their own 36-yard line thanks to Tony Brown’s interception, and they made steady progress with their running game, picking up 30 yards on the ground to go with 17 through the air, generating three first downs. Jalen Hurts led the way with two carries for 22 yards.
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Hurts then flirted with a touchdown when he found Calvin Ridley wide open in the end zone thanks to broken coverage, but the pass sailed over Ridley’s head, taking away Alabama’s best opportunity.
Pappanastos initially made a 35-yard attempt, but after a penalty he tried for 40 yards and missed badly.
Drape: Couple of things: Nick Saban’s process is unassailable on everything but the field goal kicking game. I hate criticizing Andy Pappanastos; He’s a kid. But look back at Saban’s Alabama years, and he’s never developed a reliable kicker. What I mean by that, is someone who never gets any pub because he makes the kick he’s supposed to. The false start was inexcusable. But this is exactly how they started against Clemson.
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1Q, 13:38: Alabama’s defense takes control early.
The Crimson Tide’s defense showed its dominance immediately with an interception on the third play of the game.
Alabama had won the coin toss and chose to defer, which resulted in Georgia receiving the ball to start the game. The ball was kicked out of the end zone for a touchback, which set the Bulldogs up at their own 25-yard line to start.
They got off to a slow start, with Jake Fromm dumping off two quick short passes that accounted for just three yards, but then he tried to be more aggressive, throwing deep to Javon Wims, and had his pass intercepted by Tony Brown.
Joe Drape: Big play to open this slugfest. It was a fine throw by Fromm, but Brown took it away from Wims. Hard nosed play. Let’s expect a lot of them. These are two top-10 defenses.
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Trump takes the field for national anthem.
President Trump took the field shortly before the playing of the national anthem to what seemed to be mainly cheers. He stayed for the anthem, and left before the teams took the field. (In college football, unlike the N.F.L., teams nearly always stay in the locker rooms for the anthem.) These are two fanbases that, like their teams’ coaches, are frankly probably more focused on the upcoming game than on the president’s presence.
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A pregame prediction: Dawgs win a close one.
Joe Drape: The Crimson Tide were 3-2 favorites to win the championship before the playoffs started, even though they were the No. 4 seeded team. They are 4-point favorites right now. Alabama has the best coach in the game, and a roster of talent that is the best in the nation. I’m one of the few people in the know-nothing, effete East Coast football establishment that admires them.
That said, I’m picking the Dawgs. They had some magic going their way against Oklahoma. They were pushed around the first half, but never lost their poise. Kirby Smart and his staff made the necessary adjustments in the second half. There is some sentiment at work. I am a former denizen of Atlanta, and this column explains why. Prediction: Georgia 28, Alabama 24.
Pregame Reads
■ Before, and during, the game tonight, “Glory, Glory” will be played. It’s Georgia’s unofficial fight song. Others might recognize the stirring tune as an older and nationally prominent song: “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the famous Civil War anthem of the North.
Read Marc Tracy’s story on how the song became such a popular part of the Georgia fan experience.
■ Nick Saban has a chance to win an unprecedented fifth national title in nine seasons. Perhaps the most remarkable detail about that remarkable run is that none of those championship teams — at the program that produced Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler — had an elite quarterback destined for N.F.L. greatness. Here’s a look at what makes a Nick Saban quarterback.
NCAA.com
ATLANTA -- Two SEC teams, Georgia and Alabama, meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to decide college football's national champion.
It's the culmination of a 2017 season which saw both teams spend some time at No. 1. Georgia knocked off Oklahoma in a Rose Bowl double-overtime thriller to get here, while Alabama handled Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
Follow below for the latest updates from Atlanta.
Alabama vs. Georgia: GameCenter | TV information
By Ralph D. Russo | The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Alabama and Georgia should know a lot about each other when they meet in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night, even though the teams have not played in a few years.
With Nick Saban on one side and his former defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart, leading the Bulldogs, the teams competing in the national championship game have a lot in common, especially the way they play defense, using a 3-4 scheme that often looks like a 4-3 with outside linebackers providing pass rush like defensive ends. Tight coverage on outside receivers and a mix of well-disguised blitzes can be hard to decipher for a quarterback.
Some of the matchups that could decide the national title.
Alabama QB Jalen Hurts vs. Georgia LB Roquan Smith
A case can be made that Smith has been the best defensive player in the country this season. He is an instinctive linebacker and Georgia will move him around in the tackle box to free him to run to the ball. Even in a wild Rose Bowl with more than 1,000 yards of offense, the All-American Smith was a force against Oklahoma, making several pivotal third-down stops.
"He doesn't miss many tackles," said Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield, whose team lost to the Bulldogs to open the 20017 season.
Satterfield said Georgia's length on the edges with outside linebackers Davin Bellamy (6-foot-5) and Lorenzo Carter (6-6) makes it difficult to attack the edges against the Bulldogs.
Hurts gives Alabama a dual-threat and especially powerful runner. He was second on the team with 945 yards rushing and eight rushing touchdowns. If Georgia needs someone to spy Hurts, it could be Smith.
"Don't be in a hurry to get a sack, more than making sure you're maintaining rush lanes and force him to be a pocket guy with the pocket collapsing around him," Florida coach Dan Mullen said.
Mullen coached Mississippi State last season before joining the Gators and his Bulldogs were one of three to face both Alabama and Georgia this season. Mississippi State lost to both teams.
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Georgia QB Jake Fromm vs. Alabama S Minkah Fitzpatrick
This is a different kind of matchup than Hurts-Smith, because Fromm is not a running threat. The challenge for the freshman quarterback will be identifying where Fitzpatrick is lined up from play to play because Alabama uses the All-American everywhere: safety, cornerback and linebacker. He is even used as an edge rusher. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt does not call a lot of blitzes, but when he does Fitzpatrick is often the guy Alabama brings. Or he can show blitz with Fitzpatrick and have him back out and seamlessly drop into coverage.
Fromm has shown the poise of a veteran all season, but Saban's defenses have been known to fluster even experienced quarterbacks and Fitzpatrick is an extension of Saban on the field.
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Georgia C Lamont Gaillard vs. Alabama NG Da'Ron Payne
When Payne is not catching touchdown passes he is one of the best interior linemen in college football. At 308-pounds, he is hard to move and can overpower blockers. He is a big part of the No. 1 run defense in the country. Alabama allows only 2.7 yards per carry. Georgia averages 5.99 yards per rush, sixth best in the country, behind tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
"That's their offense. It is stopping those guys and then you just got to be sound," Mullen said. "If you make mistakes and let other people score on you, let other people make big plays against you, that's where it gets really hard to beat them."
Gaillard is a 301-pound fourth-year junior who gives Georgia a chance to move Payne one-on-one, but he will probably need some help from guards Kendall Baker and Ben Cleveland. Auburn and Mississippi State had some success running against the Tide, but that was with the threat of a running quarterback and offenses that use motions and run-pass option plays to get linebackers and safeties out of position. Georgia uses lots of formations and some motion, but with no quarterback running threat, the Bulldogs are going to need to move big bodies like Payne and Raekwon Davis (307 7pounds) out of the way to get Chubb and Michel going.
"If Georgia can be able to stick with the run, get patient with the 2- and 3-yard gains and find a way to convert on third down, Michel and Chubb will hit some big ones," Mullen said.
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Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley vs. Georgia CB Deandre Baker
Alabama leans heavily on Ridley in the passing game. The junior has 59 catches for 935 yards to lead the Tide. No other receiver has more than 16 receptions of 244 yards. There is talent elsewhere in the Crimson Tide passing game. The second- and third-leading receivers by yardage are freshmen Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. Robert Foster is a senior whose career has been stunted by injuries. But Ridley is the man.
"We rolled the coverage to Ridley a couple of times and he was still able to win," Mullen said.
Baker is Georgia's best coverage player.
"If they do have a weakness, relatively, it's in the secondary," Appalachian State's Satterfield said of Georgia's defense.
Expect Baker to spend a lot of time shadowing Ridley and for safeties Dominick Sanders and J.R. Reed to provide support.
CFP National Championship Game
No. 4 Alabama (12-1) vs. No. 3 Georgia (13-1)
7 p.m. CST Monday (ESPN)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
1 Loss has been suffered by each team, with both defeats administered by Auburn. The Tigers defeated Georgia 40-17 on Nov. 11 and Alabama 26-14 on Nov. 25.
1 Team has been the consensus national champion with a true freshman QB, which Georgia could do with Jake Fromm. In 1985, true freshman Jamelle Holieway stepped in as Oklahoma's QB when Troy Aikman suffered a broken leg in the fourth game of the season - a 27-14 loss to Miami (Fla.). With Holieway at QB, the Sooners won their remaining eight games, including a 25-10 victory over No. 1-ranked Penn State in the Orange Bowl to finish in the top spot of the final AP and coaches polls. Holieway completed 27-of-64 passes for 608 yards with six TDs and two interceptions and ran 173 times for 862 yards and nine TDs.
1 Team has lost a game by at least 23 points and won the national championship in the same season during the poll era (since 1936). In 1983, Miami (Fla.) started its season with a 28-3 loss to Florida and came back to finish No. 1 after winning its remaining 11 games. Georgia lost to Auburn 40-17 on Nov. 11.
1 Running back in SEC history has more rushing yards than Georgia RB Nick Chubb, who enters Monday night's game with 4,744. Chubb ranks second on the SEC's career rushing list behind Georgia's Herschel Walker, who ran for 5,249 yards from 1980 through 1982.
1 Player in Alabama history has produced more TDs for the Crimson Tide than QB Jalen Hurts has in his 28 games. AJ McCarron holds the Alabama career record for TD responsibility with 80 in 53 games. Hurts has 61 on 40 TD passes and 21 TD runs.
2 Players in Monday night's game are 2017 consensus All-Americans -- Alabama S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who earned the honor for the second straight season, and Georgia LB Roquan Smith. Both were unanimous All-Americans, which means they received first-team recognition from all five organizations used by the NCAA to compile the consensus team.
2 Previous Alabama bowls have featured SEC opponents. The Crimson Tide defeated Ole Miss 12-7 in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1964, and LSU 21-0 in the BCS title game on Jan. 9, 2012. The two victories featured nine field goals and one TD for Alabama. Georgia has never previously played an SEC opponent in a bowl.
3 Consecutive CFP championship games have been won by the lower-seeded team. No. 2 Clemson beat No. 1 Alabama 35-31 for the 2016 title, No. 2 Alabama beat No. 1 Clemson 45-40 for the 2015 crown and No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 2 Oregon 42-20 for the 2014 championship. While all three CFP championship games have gone to the lower-seeded team, the No. 2 team beat the No. 1 team eight out of 16 times in the BCS title game. Alabama was the No. 4 seed and Georgia the No. 3 seed in this season's CFP.
3 Victories and three losses for teams playing in their home states in the BCS/CFP title game. LSU on Jan. 4, 2004, and Jan. 7, 2008, and Florida on Jan. 8, 2009, won in their home states, and Florida State on Jan. 3, 2001, Southern Cal on Jan. 4, 2006, and LSU on Jan. 9, 2012, lost in their home states.
5 Punt-return yards have been yielded by Alabama this season, the fewest in the nation. Opponents have returned four of the Crimson Tide's 48 punts for an average of 1.25 yards. Georgia has averaged 9.58 yards on 26 punt returns this season.
8 Victories without a loss for Georgia under coach Kirby Smart in games with kickoffs at night. The Bulldogs are 13-6 under Smart during games with daytime kickoffs.
10 Consecutive Januarys have included Alabama games. That's the second-longest streak in SEC history, behind an 11-year run by Florida. The Gators had a January game at the end of every season from 1993 through 2003. Alabama has a 26-18-1 record in games played in January. Georgia has a 19-9-1 record in the first month.
10 SEC teams have had two players rush for 1,000 yards apiece in the same season, including Georgia in 2017. The Bulldogs' Nick Chubb has 1,320 rushing yards and teammate Sony Michel has 1,129. The SEC's other twin 1,000-yard rushers have been Auburn's James Brooks and Joe Cribbs in 1979, Tennessee's Gerald Riggs Jr. and Cedric Houston in 2004, Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in 2006 and 2007, Auburn's Cam Newton and Mike Dyer in 2010, Alabama's Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon in 2012, Auburn's Tre Mason and Nick Marshall in 2013, Arkansas' Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins in 2014 and Kentucky's Benny Snell Jr. and Stanley "Boom" Williams in 2016.
11 Victories without a loss for Alabama coach Nick Saban against opposing coaches who served as assistant coaches under him. Georgia coach Kirby Smart spent nine seasons, including eight as defensive coordinator, with Saban at Alabama as well as one year apiece with LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Saban has three victories each over Derek Dooley and Jim McElwain, two apiece over Will Muschamp and Mark Dantonio and one over Jimbo Fisher.
11.1 Points per game have been given up by Alabama in this season, the lowest in the nation. Georgia ranks fifth nationally, yielding an average of 15.7 points per game.
14 Fourth downs have been converted into first downs by Alabama this season. The Crimson Tide's success rate of 82.35 percent (14-of-17) on fourth down is the best in the nation. Georgia has allowed its opponents to convert on fourth down only four times in 16 attempts - a 75 percent stop rate that's tied for fourth-best in the nation.
16 TDs have been scored against Alabama this season, the fewest in the nation. The Crimson Tide has given up seven passing TDs, three fewer than any team in the nation.
17 Rushing yards are needed by RB Damien Harris to record Alabama's 21st 1,000-yard season and become the sixth Crimson Tide player to rush for 1,000 yards in two seasons. Harris ran for 1,037 yards in 2016. Alabama's other 1,000-yard rushers have been Johnny Musso in 1970 and 1971, Bobby Humphrey in 1986 and 1987, Siran Stacy in 1989, Sherman Williams in 1994, Dennis Riddle in 1996, Shaun Alexander in 1998 and 1999, Shaud Williams in 2003, Kenneth Darby in 2004 and 2005, Glen Coffee in 2008, Mark Ingram in 2009, Trent Richardson in 2011, Eddie Lacy in 2012, T.J. Yeldon in 2012 and 2013 and Derrick Henry in 2015.
19 Years since a coach guided his alma mater to the national championship. Philip Fulmer was the most recent to do so with Tennessee in 1998. Georgia coach Kirby Smart played for the Bulldogs from 1995 through 1998 and was an All-SEC safety as a senior.
20 Victories against teams ranked in the top five of the AP poll for teams coached by Nick Saban, two ahead of former West Virginia/Florida State coach Bobby Bowden at the top of the all-time list. Georgia was ranked third in the most recent AP poll. Saban has a 14-6 record against top-five teams at Alabama. The victories came against No. 3 Georgia in 2008, No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Texas in 2009, No. 1 LSU in 2011, No. 5 LSU, No. 3 Georgia and No. 1 Notre Dame in 2012; No. 1 Mississippi State in 2014, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Michigan State and No. 1 Clemson in 2015, No. 3 Washington in 2016 and No. 3 Florida State and No. 1 Clemson in 2017. Overall, Saban has a 20-12 record against top-five opponents. Bowden's record was 18-30-1.
38 Victories for Alabama, 25 for Georgia and four ties in the Crimson Tide-Bulldogs series. The teams squared off 25 times before the SEC's first season in 1933, with the series knotted 11-11-3. Alabama leads the series 27-14-1 under the SEC banner. The schools met annually from 1944 through 1965. In the 51 intervening seasons, they've played 16 times, including a 32-28 victory by Alabama in the 2012 SEC title game. That's one of their two previous meetings in Atlanta. The Bulldogs beat the Tide 22-0 on Nov. 19, 1921, in Georgia's capital city. Alabama has won the past three meetings.
42 Consecutive games with a reception for Alabama WR Calvin Ridley, the longest active streak in the SEC and the third-longest in the nation. During his streak, Ridley has caught 220 passes. He's second on Alabama's career list behind the 228 receptions of Amari Cooper (2012-14).
45 Yards were gained on the longest run given up by Georgia this season. Georgia is one of five teams in the nation that hasn't given up a run longer than 49 yards to an opponent. Alabama had five runs that gained at least 50 yards this season.
46 Yards were gained on the longest pass completed against Alabama in 2017. Alabama is one of six teams in the nation that hasn't given up a pass longer than 49 yards to an opponent this season. Georgia has completed five passes that gained at least 50 yards this season.
52 Games have been won by Alabama since the start of the 2014 season, an NCAA FBS record for the most victories in a four-season span. With its 24-6 victory over Clemson last week, Alabama broke the record set by the Crimson Tide from 2013 through 2016. Alabama had 12 victories in 2012 and 14 in 2013 and 2014. This year's Tide team has 12 victories.
65 Receiving yards are needed by WR Calvin Ridley to record the eighth 1,000-yard season in Alabama history and his second. Alabama's 1,000-yard receivers have been David Palmer in 1993, DJ Hall in 2006 and 2007, Julio Jones in 2010, Amari Cooper in 2012 and 2014 and Ridley in 2015.
91.77 Rushing yards per game have been yielded by Alabama this season, the lowest average in the nation. Alabama will become the first school to lead the nation in rushing defense in three consecutive seasons as long as Georgia does not run for more than 141 yards. Michigan State is second in rushing defense after giving up an average of 95.31 yards per game.
146 Rushing yards were gained by Georgia RB Nick Chubb against Alabama on Oct. 3, 2015, including 83 on a TD run. He's one of the 13 ball-carriers who have recorded a 100-yard game against the Crimson Tide in the 151 games since Nick Saban became Alabama's coach in 2007.
220 Receptions have been made by WR Calvin Ridley during his Alabama career. Ridley ranks fifth on the SEC's all-time list. Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews holds the conference record for career receptions with 262 from 2010 through 2013. The other players ahead of Ridley in SEC history are Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett (236 receptions from 2005 through 2007), Texas A&M's Christian Kirk (234, 2015-17) and Alabama's Amari Cooper (228, 2012-14).
226 Consecutive games have been played without being shut out for Alabama, a school record. Alabama's most recent shutout loss came 9-0 to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
237 Punts for Alabama's JK Scott, one short of the school career record set by P.J. Fitzgerald from 2006 through 2009. Scott is Alabama's leader in career punting yards with 10,789 and career punting average at 45.5 yards.
252.4 Yards per game have been given up by Alabama this season, the lowest average in the nation. Alabama has given up an average of 3.92 yards per play, the lowest in the nation by 0.35 yards.
289 Consecutive games without being shut out for Georgia, tied for the second-longest streak in SEC history with a Tennessee streak that ended on Sept. 30 in a 41-0 loss to Georgia. Georgia's most recent shutout loss came 31-0 to Alabama on Sept. 30, 1995.
390 Penalty yards have been assessed against Alabama's opponents this season, the fewest in the nation.
8,284 Rushing yards have been gained by RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel as Georgia teammates. That's the most career rushing yards for two teammates in NCAA FBS history, surpassing the 8,192 compiled by Eric Dickerson and Craig James at SMU from 1979 through 1982.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.
The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game between No. 4 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia kicks off tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have both had over a week to prepare for this matchup, which has the potential to be an epic one. Regardless of who wins, the SEC already claimed another national title when both sides advanced through the semifinal this past Saturday.
Oddsmakers are expecting a close contest, installing Alabama as a 4.5-point favorite at the open. That line shifted down a full point at many books after it became known that Crimson Tide starters Afternee Jenkins and Lester Cotton would be held out and Minkah Fitzpatrick was limited in practice due to injury. These revelations have not stopped backers from hammering the chalk, as ESPN reported that William Hill has seen an overwhelming majority of the total money bet Alabama, including 88% of the money line—the Tide will return $1 for every $1.80 bet at current -180 ML odds—and 73% of the point spread money.
Will ‘Bama live up to these overwhelming expectations, or will Georgia come through against the odds as the ‘dog? Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com liked Georgia with the points when betting opened and has another lean on tonight’s game that you will not want to miss. Before getting to the professional handicapper’s latest prediction, take a look at the complete viewing guide for the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which includes start time, TV info, live streaming site, updated odds and much more.
2018 CFP National Championship Game Viewing Guide
Date/Time (ET) Matchup TV Stream Odds Total Monday, Jan 8 at 8:10 p.m. No. 3 Georgia Vs. No. 4 Alabama ESPN WatchESPN ALA -3.5 45
CFB odds via BetDSI.eu Sportsbook
National Championship Preview: No. 3 Georgia (13-1) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1)
The matchup features a pair of one-loss teams that arrived at the title game following two distinctly different paths. Georgia took a traditional route, winning the SEC East and the SEC Championship Game to earn a College Football Playoff berth that wasn’t exactly controversial. Then the ‘Dawgs bested Oklahoma in a Rose Bowl shootout for the ages, a game that finally ended in double-overtime when star running back Sony Michel scampered for a 27-yard touchdown to put UGA through to the finals, 54-48.
The Tide’s journey was a bit more contentious. After steamrolling through the much of the regular season, they came up short in the season-ending Iron Bowl battle. That loss forced ‘Bama down to No. 2 in the SEC West and thus missed their opportunity to travel to Atlanta to compete in the conference championship. Despite not even winning the division, the CFP committee still deemed the Crimson Tide worthy of a semifinal berth as one of the country’s top four clubs. Alabama narrowly edged out an Ohio State team that was fresh off handing Wisconsin its only loss of the season in the Big Ten Championship Game. Debate swirled around their validity as a CFP contender, but the Tide proved their doubters wrong with a 24-6 Sugar Bowl blowout of the Clemson Tigers.
While the programs took different roads to Atlanta, there are many links between the schools involved in this all-SEC affair, including players—receivers Riley Ridley of Georgia and Calvin Ridley of Alabama are brothers who will square off tonight— coaches, style of play and even the Auburn opponent that handed them both their only losses of the season.
One of the most direct links is through the head coaches. Georgia’s Kirby Smart will meet his former boss and mentor on the field for the first time since taking over in Athens back in late 2015.
Chris Low noted that Smart has a rare opportunity to join an exclusive club of active coaches that have managed to best Saban during the last 16 years:
