TITLE GAME IN BITS & PIECES

MONDAY’S STAR

Alabama freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spent the first half on the bench. He spent the second half guiding the Crimson Tide to their fifth national championship under coach Nick Saban. Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in overtime wound up being the play of the season.

MONDAY’S STAT

Saban improved to 12-0 against his former assistant coaches, but Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs provided the stiffest test by far. Saban’s teams had won the previous 11 meetings by at least 14 points, but Georgia jumped to a 13-0 halftime lead and took a 20-10 advantage into the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT

Early in the second quarter of a scoreless game, Georgia’s Sony Michel went around right end on third-and-20 and picked up 26 yards to Alabama’s 26-yard line. The play was reviewed to see if Michel stepped out of bounds, but he did not. His run set up Rodrigo Blankenship’s 41-yard field goal for a 3-0 advantage.

HIGHLIGHT PLAY

Midway through the third quarter, after Alabama had pulled within 13-7 on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Henry Ruggs III, the Bulldogs countered with an 80-yard scoring strike from Jake Fromm to Mecole Hardman. It was the longest play against the Crimson Tide this season by 26 yards.

WHAT IT MEANS

Alabama has won five national championships under Saban, who has six overall counting the 2003 BCS title he won at LSU. His six titles match the total Bear Bryant accumulated in his 25 seasons in Tuscaloosa. For Georgia, it’s a heartbreaking end to an otherwise fantastic season. These are your SEC East and West favorites for 2018.