Alabama, Georgia Have Met In The National Championship Game Before In Atlanta!Tonight Alabama, Georgia Are Matching Up In The National Championship Game Again! This Time, In Indianapolis!
Alabama,Georgia have met in the National Championship game before!
Alabama, Georgia previously met in the National Championship game on January 8, 2017 at Mrecedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia that is home to NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
In that National Championship game Georgia lost to Alabama 26-23 in overtime because a econd-half surge, capped by a 41-yard touchdown in overtime, lifted the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Georgia Bulldogs 26-23 in the National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night.
After 20 points from the Tide offense in the second half, a wide 36-yard field goal attempt from Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos in the final seconds of regulation sent the game into Georgia's second-straight overtime contest of the College Football Playoff.
In overtime, redshirt sophomore kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, who was 3-for-3 in field goals on the game, drilled a 51-yard field goal for the 23-20 Georgia lead. Junior Jonathan Ledbetter and senior Davin Bellamy picked up the sack of the Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a loss of 16 yards, but on the next play, the freshman hauled a 41-yard pass to a sprinting DeVonta Smith in the end zone to seal the Tide's national championship.
“according to an article on georgiadawgs.com”
In that National Championship game Alabama topped Georgia 26-23 in overtime!
The No. 4-ranked University of Alabama football team defeated No. 3-ranked Georgia, 26-23, on a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass from freshman Tua Tagovailoa to freshman wide receiver DeVonta SmithMonday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Crimson Tide (13-1) won its 17th national championship after edging the Bulldogs (13-2) in just the fourth College Football Playoff. Alabama head coach Nick Saban improves to 12-0 against his former assistants with the win over UGA's Kirby Smart.
Tagovailoa was named Offensive MVP after going 14-of-24 for 166 yards, three scores through the air and 27 yards on the ground, all in the second half.
On defense, junior Da'Ron Payne was named the Defensive MVP with six tackles in the game. Sophomore linebacker Mack Wilson led the team with 12 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss. Senior defensive back Tony Brown and sophomore defensive lineman Raekwon Davis each had an interception in the win.
Georgia received the ball first in the overtime period, starting at the UA 25-yard line. The Alabama defense pushed Georgia back nine yards to the 34-yard line, where the Bulldogs netted a 51-yard field goal attempt to go up 23-20.
Lining up on the UGA 25-yard line in Alabama's first overtime possession, Tagovailoa was sacked on the first play for a 16-yard loss to the 41-yard line. On the next play from scrimmage, Tagovailoa found Smith sprinting down the field for a 41-yard touchdown reception to give Alabama the 26-23 win in thrilling fashion.
While offense finished the game, the Tide's defense got things started. Just three plays into Georgia's opening drive, freshman quarterback Jake Fromm threw the ball deep down field where senior defensive back Tony Brown ripped the ball out of the intended receiver's hands for the interception, setting up the Tide offense at its own 36-yard line.
Alabama drove the ball down to the UGA 17-yard line to attempt a 35-yard field goal, when a false-start penalty back the ball up to the UGA 22-yard line for a 40-yard try. Senior placekicker Andy Pappanastos pushed the kick wide to keep the game scoreless with 9:54 left in the opening quarter.
The two sides traded three-and-outs before Georgia took over at its own 26-yard line and drove 55 yards on 14 plays to set up a 41-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 3-0 with 14:14 left to go in the first half. The field goal marked only the third time this season that Alabama allowed its opponents to score the first points of the game.
After an Alabama three-and-out, the Bulldogs started at its own 20-yard line before putting together another lengthy drive, going 70 yards on 13 plays to set up a 27-yard field goal, extending the Bulldogs lead to 6-0 with 7:33 left in the half.
The Tide tried to get back on track on the following possession, when Hurts scrambled for 31 yards on the first play of the drive to the UGA 44-yard line. However, the drive stalled and Alabama punted for the third-straight time.
Both sides again traded punts before Georgia put together a scoring drive just before the half, amassing 69 yards on nine plays in just 1:12 to go up 13-0 following a one-yard touchdown run with just seven seconds left in the first half of play.
The Tide began the second half with freshman Tua Tagovailoa in at quarterback. Alabama and Georgia traded three-and-out possessions to open the half.
On the next Crimson Tide drive, UA faced a third-and-seven from its own 47-yard line when Tagovailoa escaped multiple UGA defenders in the backfield and scrambled for nine yards to keep the drive alive. The Tide capitalized with Tagovailoa completing four-straight passes, including a six-yard touchdown pass to freshman Henry Ruggs III, capping a seven-play 56-yard scoring drive. Pappanastos' extra point made it 13-7 with 8:52 left in the third quarter.
Georgia quickly responded with an 80-yard touchdown pass to put the Bulldogs up 20-7 with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs continued to gain momentum when Tagovailoa threw an interception to a leaping Georgia defender at the UA 39-yard line.
Alabama got the ball right back when on the next play from scrimmage, Fromm threw a pass that was tipped up into the air and into the hands of sophomore defensive lineman Raekwon Davis who galloped 19 yards to the UGA 40-yard line.
The Tide capitalized on the Georgia turnover, setting up a 43-yard Pappanastos field goal to cut the deficit to 20-10 with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs punted twice, while the Tide came up empty on one drive before UA took over at its own 17-yard line. Freshman running back Najee Harris provided a spark off the bench with a 16-yard scamper to begin the drive, followed by a 35-yard run two plays later to put the Tide within striking distance at the UGA 14-yard line. Four plays later, Pappanastos split the uprights from 30 yards out to cap an eight-play, 71-yard drive and cut the Georgia lead to 20-13 with 9:24 left in the game.
Alabama then came up with a big stop on defense, stuffing Georgia on a third-and-two to force a three-and-out.
The Tide took over on its own 34-yard line with 7:10 remaining in the game. Tagovailoa drove the Tide down the field where the offense was faced with a fourth-and-four from the UGA seven-yard line. The true freshman scrambled around in the backfield before finding junior wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the end zone for the seven-yard touchdown. Pappanastos' extra point tied the game at 20-20 with 3:56 left in the game.
After a Georgia three-and-out, Alabama took over on its own 35-yard line with 2:55 left in the game. A heavy dose of Harris and Tagovailoa brought the ball down to the UGA 17-yard line to set up Pappanastos for a potential game-winning 36-yard field goal with three seconds on the clock. Pappanastos missed the field goal to send the game into overtime.
“according to an article on rolltide.com”
Alabama, Georgia are matching up again in the National Championship Game! This time, in Indianapolis at Lucus Oil Stadium that is home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts!
Alabama comes into the game with a record of 13-1!
Why?
Because Alabama comes into the National Championship game haven beaten Cincinnati in the College Football Playoff at the Good Year Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday December 31, 2021 27-6. In Alabama’s 27-6 win over Cincinnati top ranked Alabama won its 41st bowl game on New Year's Eve, defeating No. 4/4/4 Cincinnati, 27-6, in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 2021 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Friday.
With the win, Alabama advances to its sixth CFP Championship Game in Indianapolis, Ind., on Jan. 10, when it will face the winner of the CFP Semifinal game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan. The Cotton Bowl victory also gives the Tide 41 bowl wins, the most in college football history.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was named the game's offensive MVP, while linebacker Will Anderson Jr. brought home defensive MVP honors. Robinson Jr. recorded a career-high and Alabama bowl record 204 rushing yards on 26 carries, while Anderson Jr. led a Tide defense that held the Bearcats to just 218 yards of total offense.
Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young tallied 181 yards on 17-of-28 passing with three touchdowns through the air, giving him the Alabama single-season passing yards record with 4,503 through 14 games. Ja'Corey Brooks led the Tide's receivers with 66 yards on four catches including a touchdown. Slade Bolden hauled in UA's first score of the game, while Cameron Latu added another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Safety Brian Branch led the Tide with eight tackles, including six solo stops and a sack to go with two pass breakups. Anderson Jr. added six tackles, including a team-high two sacks.
Will Reichard connected on a 26- and 43-yard field goal and added three extra points in the game.
Postgame Notes
Alabama has played in a total of nine Cotton Bowl contests in school history, boosting its record to 5-4 all-time in those games with its win over Cincinnati.
Bryce Young set the school record for the most passing touchdowns in a season at 44, after connecting with Slade Bolden on an eight-yard touchdown pass on the Crimson Tide's opening drive.
Young reset that record throughout the remainder of the game, concluding the contest at 46 touchdown passes
Young also broke the single-season passing yards record, surpassing Mac Jones who set the record in 2020 (4,500).
Young came into the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic with 4,322 passing yards, and currently holds the record with 4,503 heading into the national championship game.
Alabama logged 172 yards rushing in the first half, the most first-half rushing yards by the Crimson Tide this season.
The 172 yards rushing is also more than the Crimson Tide has recorded in a complete game in eight of 13 games this season.
Brian Robinson Jr. had 134 yards rushing in the first half, marking just the second time this season he has recorded 100-or-more yards rushing in a half.
His 134 yards in the first half against Cincinnati is more than he has recorded in a complete game in 10 of his 12 games this season.
Brian Robinson Jr. recorded a career-high 204 yards rushing in the game, setting an Alabama bowl record in the process
Robinson Jr. surpassed Bo Scarbrough, who recorded 180 yards against Washington on Dec. 21, 2016.
Alabama's defense had six pass breakups against Cincinnati, tying a season high at LSU on Nov. 6.
The game captains against Cincinnati were Alabama's permanent captains in linebacker Will Anderson Jr., defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis, offensive lineman Evan Nealand quarterback Bryce Young.
How It Happened
First Quarter
9:51 – UA | Alabama marched down the field on its first possession, before Bryce Young connected with Slade Bolden on an eight-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
4:52 – CIN | Cole Smith kicked a 33-yard field goal after a 13-play, 60-yard series.
Second Quarter
14:56 – UA | Will Reichard kicked a 26-yard field goal, concluding a 13-play, 67-yard drive.
1:36 – UA | Ja'Corey Brooks caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Young, to cap an eight-play, 94-yard drive.
Third Quarter
9:57 – CIN | Smith found success on a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to record the Bearcats' second score of the game.
Fourth Quarter
13:52 – UA | Cameron Latu hauled in a nine-yard pass from Young for Alabama's third passing touchdown of the game, finishing off a nine-play, 70-yard drive.
06:20 – UA | Reichard closed out the scoring with a 43-yard field goal.
Georgia comes into the into the National Championship game like Alabama with a record of 13-1 because they beat Michigan 34-11 in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday December 31, 2021 in Miami Gardens Florida
In Georgia’s 34-11 win over Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl The offense scored on its first five possessions, the defense forced three turnovers, and the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs stormed past No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in the Capital One Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
With the win, the Bulldogs (13-1) will take on No. 1 Alabama in the National Championship Game on Jan. 10, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It will be a rematch of both this season's SEC Championship Game and the 2017 season's CFP title game.
Georgia got off to a strong start on offense and defense, and the Bulldogs never let the Wolverines (12-2) gain any momentum. Georgia outgained Michigan 515-325, quarterback Stetson Bennett IV was sharp from the outset, finishing 21 of 31 for 307 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense was dominant throughout.
Freshman tight end Brock Bowers picked up where he left off in the SEC Championship game when he had 10 catches for 139 yards. Against the Wolverines, he caught six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. On Georgia's opening drive, he connected with Bennett three times for 51 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. The TD catch was Bowers' 12th of the season, setting a new school single-season record.
After Georgia's defense stopped the Wolverines on fourth-and-4 at the UGA 41, the Bulldog offense quickly moved the ball down the field. On first down at the 18-yard line, Georgia got tricky: running back Kenny McIntosh took a handoff going to the right side and lofted a perfect pass into the arms of a wide-open Adonai Mitchell in the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 4:41 to play in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs increased their lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Jack Podlesny. Bennett had a 20-yard run on the drive but the possession stalled inside the Wolverine 30.
Michigan got on the scoreboard on its next drive, hitting a 36-yard field goal to make it 17-3 with 7:16 to play in the half. A 42-yard completion moved the ball to the Georgia 19, but then Butkus Award-winning linebacker Nakobe Dean got on an 8-yard sack on the next play and the Wolverines eventually had to settle for the field goal.
Georgia running back James Cook caught a 53-yard pass on the Bulldogs' next drive, down to the 15, but the Bulldogs only managed to get a 28-yard Podlesny field goal out of the drive. Podlesny's 20th field goal of the season gave Georgia a 20-3 lead with 3:50 to play in the half.
The Bulldog defense forced a quick three-and-out on Michigan's next possession and the offense got the ball back with 2:15 on the clock. The Bulldogs didn't need all of that time to find the end zone again.
After a 12-yard completion to McIntosh on first down, Bennett dropped back and lofted a pass deep up the right side to wideout Jermaine Burton who had gotten behind his defender. Burton sprinted into the end zone and put Georgia up 27-3 with 1:38 left in the half.
And the Bulldogs weren't done making plays. On the next play, cornerback Derion Kendrick intercepted a Cade McNamara pass to give the offense the ball back with 1:28 remaining. Soon after, Georgia ran into the locker room with a 27-3 halftime lead and a 330-101 advantage in total offense.
Michigan got the ball to open the second half and drove down inside the Bulldog 20, but on second-and-11 at the 19, McNamara tried to throw into the left corner of the end zone for a score. Instead, Kendrick came up with his second interception in as many possessions to give the Bulldogs the ball back.
Georgia's offense couldn't get anything going on the ensuing drive and Jake Camarda came on for his first punt of the evening. The Bulldog defense produced another turnover on the next Michigan drive, with Dean stripping Blake Corum and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt recovering the loose ball at the Georgia 47.
After a scoreless third quarter, Georgia's defense got another fourth-down stop at the Bulldog 41 early n the fourth. Soon after, Bennett connected with Cook for a 37-yard touchdown that made it 34-3 and put the game away with 11:11 remaining. A Miami native, Cook had a big game with three catches for 99 yards and six carries for 32.
Michigan's lone touchdown came with 4:25 remaining in the game, on a 35-yard completion. The Wolverines then converted a 2-point attempt to cut Georgia's lead to 34-11.
Linebacker Nolan Smith led the Bulldog defense with eight tackles, including a sack, Dean added seven stops and a sack, and linebacker Quay Walker had six stops. The Bulldogs finished with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.
Georgia was making its fourth appearance in the Orange Bowl and its first since 1960. The Bulldogs' first-ever bowl game was the 1942 Orange Bowl, when Georgia beat TCU, 40-26, behind 355 yards of total offense from Frank Sinkwich. Friday's New Year's Eve win lifted the Bulldogs' record in the Orange Bowl to 3-1 and the program's overall record in bowl games By John Frierson
Staff Writer
The offense was rolling. The trick play worked to perfection. The defense was dominant in stretches and difficult to handle throughout.
Playing like the aggressive and assertive bunch of Bulldogs that it has been for most of this stellar season, No. 3 Georgia jumped on No. 2 Michigan early and never let the Wolverines get their teeth into the game Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The final score of the Capital One Orange Bowl was 34-11, and that margin might not truly reflect the one-sided nature of this College Football Playoff semifinal game. Georgia (13-1) scored the first five times the offense had the ball — three touchdowns and two field goals — while the defense controlled the line of scrimmage throughout, produced three turnovers, and didn't surrender a touchdown until the game's closing minutes.
"We came in here and we wanted to play our game," said nose tackle Jordan Davis, who had one of the defense's seven tackles for loss.
"We just kind of wanted to bounce back and show the world what we could do," left tackle Jamaree Salyer said.
Coming after Georgia's 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game earlier this month, this might seem to some like a bounce-back performance. And maybe it was. Given that this might have been the Bulldogs' best and most complete performance of the season to this point, you could also see it as the squad springing forward toward the best version of itself at the most critical point of the season.
The Bulldogs and No. 1 Alabama will meet again on Jan. 10, in the National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Davis said that while there was plenty of excitement in the locker room after Friday's win, he was more "even-keeled" and "definitely ready to get back into the film room and continue to work. The national championship's quickly approaching and we just have to get back and play our game and show our people what we can do."
Georgia showed Michigan what it could do, in every phase of the game. Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV was 21 of 31 passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns, earning Offensive MVP honors. Cornerback Derion Kendrick, a Clemson transfer who played in multiple playoff games with the Tigers, intercepted passes on back-to-back possessions, and made five stops, including one for loss, to earn Defensive MVP honors.
"He's been here before so he knows how this thing goes," Davis said of Kendrick.
Georgia got the ball to start the game and Zamir White ran for 9 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Then Bennett hit Adonai Mitchell for 16 yards, followed by a 35-yard completion to tight end Brock Bowers. The Bulldogs and offensive coordinator Todd Monken were rolling right away.
That first drive ended with a screen pass to Bowers that the big freshman turned into a 9-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
The second drive ended with a bit of whimsy, a rare Georgia trick play. On first down at the Michigan 18-yard line, Bennett handed the ball off to running back Kenny McIntosh. He ran to his right and then lofted a pass into the end zone where Mitchell had gotten free and was able to make an uncontested catch for the score and a 14-0 lead with 4:41 left in the first quarter.
That trick play hadn't always gone so well in practice, Salyer said.
"We ran it a good bit in practice. It's just one of those plays where you're like, we'll see, they might not call that," Salyer said with a laugh. "We got the play and we all looked at each other like, let's make it work. You know, initially (Mitchell) was covered, so I'm like, 'Oh, man.' But then he broke out of there, and I'm like, 'Whoa, we've got a shot here.'
"It was one of those plays that worked sometimes in practice and didn't work in practice sometimes. Hey, it worked in the right moment so we'll take it."
It was 27-3 at the half, with the Bulldogs outgunning Michigan 330-101. Georgia was averaging 9.2 yards per play to the Wolverines' 4.0. The game wasn't over at that point, but it was getting there.
"We just wanted to go out and battle. We wanted to play our best game," Salyer said.
The Joe Moore Award is handed out at the end of each regular season to the nation's best offensive line. This season, the award went to Michigan. Yes, Georgia's defensive line was aware of that.
"We didn't really use it as motivation," Davis said. "We knew they won the Joe Moore Award and were totally deserving of that. They have a great offensive line. But we just wanted to make sure that we were dominant and physical up front.
"We wanted to make sure we tested them and gave them a challenge, and that was our game plan going in, being a physical, dominant front."
Consider the game plan very well executed. Michigan averaged just 3.3 yards on its 27 rushing attempts. Georgia got seven tackles for loss, including four sacks, and routinely won the battle up front.
The work of Georgia's men up front allowed linebackers like Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith to rush in for sacks and pressures. The Bulldogs were disruptive throughout, never allowing the Wolverine offense to find its rhythm.
Meanwhile, Georgia's offense was in rhythm from the start, running the ball effectively and producing big plays in the passing game. Running back James Cook, a Miami native, did both. He averaged 5.3 yards on his six carries and caught three passes for 99 yards, with a 53-yard reception up the right side and later a 37-yard touchdown up the left.
"It's like Coach (Kirby) Smart said all week: you kind of want to be the guy that holds the bottom of the ladder so that other guys can elevate," Salyer said. "We did our jobs so that James could elevate tonight."
A lot of Bulldogs held the ladder and a lot of Bulldogs elevated, and now Georgia has another game in 10 days. If the Bulldogs play like they did Friday, they might just be holding up a national championship trophy on Jan. 10.“according to an article on georgiadogs.com”
Kickoff is set for 8:00pm from Lucas Oil Stadium!
The game is going to be televised on ESPN!