ATLANTA – Alabama’s fifth college football national championship under Nick Saban was by far the most dramatic.
Rallying from a 13-0 halftime deficit and a 20-7 deficit midway through the third quarter, the Crimson Tide stunned Georgia 26-23 with a 41-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa to DeVonta Smith in overtime before a crowd of 77,430 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Rodrigo Blankenship had given the Bulldogs a 23-20 lead with a field goal, which came on the heels of Alabama’s Andy Pappanastos badly missing a 36-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of regulation that could have won it.
“I’m so happy for our folks and for our players,” Saban said. “I’m happy for everyone.”
Tagovailoa replaced a struggling Jalen Hurts at halftime and wound up completing 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards with three touchdowns and one interceptions. His 6-yard pass to Henry Ruggs III got the Crimson Tide on the board at 13-7 midway through the third quarter, and his 7-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley with 3:49 remaining in regulation tied the game at 20-20.
Ridley’s score came on a fourth-and-7.