ATLANTA — The freshman quarterback who was supposed to have a chance to lead his team to a national championship was watching from the sideline during the critical play of regulation time. The freshman quarterback who made that play, and followed it up with another gorgeous one in overtime, was not even expected to even be in the game.
Jake Fromm, Georgia’s young quarterback, played with his usual composure and skill on Monday, as many had expected. But few could have expected Tua Tagovailoa, the left-handed, true-freshman backup for Alabama, to be the hero for the Crimson Tide in the national championship game.