In what started out as a brutal game between two offensively inept teams ended with the season's national champion being crowned, as the Alabama Crimson Tide simply stunned the Georgia Bulldogs to win the College Football Playoff National Championship with a 26-23 score in overtime.
In what turned out to be a woeful first two quarters of football, the Crimson Tide went scoreless for only the third time in the Nick Saban tenure.
It was so bad for Alabama that Jalen Hurts only tossed it around for 21 yard on merely eight pass attempts. He would be, rather shockingly, benched to start the third quarter.
The first half's lone worthy highlight was a Georgia touchdown run, which was a mini-trick play of sorts. It wasn't a full gimmick or anything, but it was close enough to get people all hot and bothered (in a good way).
@THE_BOOMSTEIN Can be huge, right?https://t.co/UturRxaMjl
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
That was literally your only highlight after two quarters. That is unless you like watching a kicker attempt to do things with his preferred foot.
Georgia led Alabama at the half, 13-0.
As for the start of the third quarter, Stone Cold Steve Austin's music may as well hit, as Nick Saban turned to Tua Tagovailoa to oversee the attempted comeback from under center.
How did he do? Pretty well out of the gate, to be honest.
Tua Tagovailoa gets the second half start https://t.co/2fV2WOmBUM
— Benjamin Bornstein (@THE_BOOMSTEIN) January 9, 2018
But first, here's an Alabama message board user believing Hawaii isn't a part of the United States.
Alabama has a freshman quarterback from Hawaii, and at least one fan is concerned pic.twitter.com/uKxTpVz1hm
— Ben Reiter (@BenReiter) September 13, 2017
Good times!
Anyway, here is the play when Tua Tagovailoa made this game feel like one worthy of being considered a National Championship event:
This was, too https://t.co/e3GVB7sOTP
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
Not to be outdone, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm made his presence known almost immediately after.
I can't get over thishttps://t.co/aHhvbI0zic
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
Let's not forget to mention a donnybrook broke out.
In a moment that appears to show Crimson Tide sophomore Mekhi Brown losing his cool, the linebacker appeared to punch a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, not be ejected for any of the tomfoolery, then lose his cool on the sidelines.
Bama player seemingly gets away with a punch, loses his cool on the sideline https://t.co/WZprlDGXUV
— Benjamin Bornstein (@THE_BOOMSTEIN) January 9, 2018
Alabama's fighting wasn't only being done with fists, though. Running back Najee Harris sparked an important drive for the Crimson Tide with a 35-yard run in the fourth.
A man's runhttps://t.co/Glv7Gqwb3K
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
Unfortunately for Alabama, the drive would then come to a stop. Down 20-10 at the time, Saban decided to play it safe, settling for a field-goal to make it a seven-point game.
With 9:24 in the College Football Playoff National Championship left, Georgia led Alabama, 20-13.
The Bulldogs played it safe on the following possession, not eating up much time on the clock despite trying to milk it, and giving it back to the Crimson Tide with 7:10 left in the game.
In a decision by officials to call pass interference on what appeared to be a ball incapable of being intercepted, it provided Alabama a chance to inch closer in the final five minutes of the game.
He couldn't have caught that, right?https://t.co/Jp3cgID291
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
In a weird fourth-down moment, Alabama was forced to use a timeout when the freshman quarterback was unaware time was running out. That may have been a blessing in disguise, though, as Tua Tagovailoa hurled a touchdown pass coming out of the timeout, tying the game up at 20.
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
The Bulldogs did not answer, in any possible shape or form, during their turn with the football. The freshman gunslinger was given the ball back with 2:55 left on the clock.
A balanced drive, aided by a personal foul going in their favor, put the Crimson Tide in a position to win the game with a field goal. It was then up to Andy Pappanastos to make a 36-yarder with three seconds left and...
College kickers jokehttps://t.co/JFsT5Fls1J
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
More like Andy Shankapotamus, am I right?
To overtime a nation went... with it now being a Tuesday on the East Coast.
Georgia got the ball first in overtime and literally drove backwards to force Rodrigo Blankenship to attempt a 51-yard field goal — and this son of a biscuit eater made it!
Legendhttps://t.co/73Qam5P7Io
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
Then Tua Tagovailoa became a LEGEND.
MORE LEGENDARY https://t.co/9Aa1rKFgLI
— Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone) January 9, 2018
Alabama won the National Championship on the back of a backup freshman quarterback from a place a Crimson Tide fan thought was outside of the United States but is actually just Hawaii!
Final score, 26-23.
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