Alabama football claimed its 17th national championship against the Georgia Bulldogs in a comeback victory 26-23. The hero of the College Football Playoff championship game was NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young clone, freshman Tua Tagovailoa.
Incumbent junior quarterback Jalen Hurts did not return in the second half after an abysmal 3-for-8 and 21 yards. The inept offense struggled mightily. Georgia played aggressively, placing as many as nine players in the box to shut down the run. The threat of a passing attack was not there with Hurts.
Jalen garnered a reputation for never letting games become too big for him.