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| Getty Images Smart (right) gets a shot to take down his mentor tonight in Atlanta. |
It’s the master versus the pupil. It’s the first National
Championship game featuring two teams from the same conference in the College
Football Playoff era. It’s the dynamic rushing attack of Georgia against an
elite defense. It’s Georgia’s Jake Fromm looking to become just the second true
freshman quarterback to win a national championship. It would be the Bulldogs’
first title since 1980. And of course, it’s Nick Saban attempting to tie Bear
Bryant’s record for most national titles as a coach.
Whichever one you find the most intriguing doesn’t really
matter. It all figures to result in a thrilling National Championship. Last
year will be tough to top, and Georgia is the clear underdog tonight, but by no
means should it be a lopsided final score. For one night, fans should put aside
how they feel about the current postseason format in the FBS. It’s always going
to be a hot topic of discussion, especially this year with Central Florida
going undefeated and not qualifying for the playoff.
In a sport rife with change, from coaching staffs to playoff
teams to conference alignment, tonight features two of the more stable programs
in the nation. Alabama has been the standard in the FBS for as long as Saban
has been on the sideline, and Georgia has been one of the Crimson Tide’s more
consistent challengers on the other side of the SEC. Kirby Smart now has
Georgia on the sport’s biggest stage in just two years at the helm after
learning under Saban as Alabama’s defensive coordinator. Tonight marks the 112th
time in 113 games Alabama is favored. As for the one time the Tide were an
underdog during that stretch, it was in 2015 against none other than the
Georgia Bulldogs. Alabama won the game going away by a score of 38-10, but the
point remains that Georgia has long been vying for an opportunity like it has
tonight. Saban won his first national championship at Alabama in 2009. Since
then, Auburn is the only SEC team to win it all other than Alabama.
This year, Alabama was in the unique position of having to
prove it belonged, and Georgia was the unquestioned playoff team. The Crimson
Tide got the final spot in the playoff over Ohio State while the Bulldogs had
no need to sweat things out after dispatching of Auburn in the SEC championship
game. But, in the semifinals, Alabama made quick work of Clemson in the third
straight playoff matchup between the two teams and left no doubt. On the other
hand, Georgia won one of the more dramatic games in Rose Bowl history defeating
Oklahoma 54-48 in double overtime and ending the college career of Sooners’
quarterback and 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. It might not be as
sexy as Mayfield taking on the Alabama defense, but that doesn’t mean it won’t
be just as good. Whether it’s the college football playoff, or March madness,
there are almost always arguments over who belongs and who was left out. There’s
no doubt both teams playing tonight belong. Enjoy it.
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