Crimson Tide clinches berth in BCS title tilt
Will face top-ranked Notre Dame on Jan. 7
ATLANTA— Alabama is heading back to the national championship game — by a mere five yards.
A.J. McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:15 remaining, and the No. 2 Crimson Tide barely held off No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in a Southeastern Conference title game for the ages Saturday.
After an apparent game-clinching interception by Alabama (12-1) was overturned on a video review, Geor- gia’s Aaron Murray completed a 15yard pass to Arthur Lynch, a 23yarder to Tavarres King and a 26yarder to Lynch, who was hauled down at the Alabama eight as the clock continued to run. The Bulldogs were out of timeouts.
Instead of spiking the ball and gathering themselves, the Bulldogs snapped the ball with nine seconds to go. Murray attempted a pass into the corner but it was deflected at the line, winding up in the arms of Chris Conley out in the right flats.
Surprised to get the ball, he slipped down at the five.
Georgia couldn’t get off another play. Alabama celebrated as confetti fell from the Georgia Dome roof. The Bulldogs collapsed on the field, stunned they had come so close to knocking off the team that has won two of the last three national titles.
The Tide will get a chance to make it three out of four when they face top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown on Jan. 7 in Miami.
“I’m ready to have heart attack here,” Tide coach Nick Saban said.
For the Bulldogs (11-2), the consolation prize will likely be a spot in the Capital One Bowl, though they certainly looked like a team fully deserving of a BCS bid. Georgia coach Mark Richt said his team had the play it wanted at the end, but Alabama ruined it by getting a hand on the ball.
“I told the guys I was disappointed, but I’m not disappointed in them,” Richt said. “They’re warriors. We had a chance at the end. We just didn’t get it done.”
The Bulldogs even got props from Saban.
“It would be a crying shame if Georgia doesn’t get to go to a BCS bowl game,” the Alabama coach said. “They played a tremendous game out there. That was a great football game, by both teams. It came right down to the last play.”