College Football

Georgia Bulldogs earn redemption with CFP title win vs. Alabama

Updated Mar. 13, 2022 7:15 p.m. ET

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By Laken Litman
FOX Sports College Football Writer

In order for Georgia to beat Alabama and win its first national championship in 41 years, something momentous needed to happen.

And it did.

"You guys kicked our ass in the fourth quarter," Nick Saban told Kirby Smart when the mentor and mentee shook hands at midfield afterward. 

Georgia had just beaten Alabama 33-18, giving Smart his first win over his old boss in five tries, his first College Football Playoff National Championship as head coach of his alma mater and the Bulldogs’ first national title in more than four decades.

Georgia had not beaten Alabama since 2007, Saban’s first year in Tuscaloosa. That streak of futility included the 2017 season's national championship, two SEC title games and a 2020 regular-season meeting. 

But this time, Smart finally had all the right pieces to get redemption. 

"You ought to be here perennially' — RJ Young on Georgia's title

RJ Young breaks down the future expectations for Georgia now that it has finally broken through to win the national championship.

Sure, both teams had rosters that sparkled with four- and five-star recruits who will eventually turn into NFL draft picks. Alabama had the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in Bryce Young and arguably the nation’s best defensive player in Will Anderson. Plus, the Tide had Saban, who has won seven national championships.

But Georgia boasted more talent across the board, from its dominant offensive line to its ferocious defensive front seven. Notably, the Bulldogs’ defense had 45 sacks heading into this game, none of which came in their 41-24 loss to the Tide in December’s SEC title matchup. 

Georgia couldn’t get pressure on Young that day, and he went on to throw for more than 400 yards with three touchdowns, solidifying his Heisman. 

But Monday night, Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning cooked up a plan to get more pressure on Young. It worked. The Bulldogs had four sacks and two interceptions, and Young was clearly uncomfortable at times.

"They switched some things up," said Young, who went 35-for-57 for 369 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions Monday.

Added Smart: "We wanted to affect Bryce."

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett didn’t look much more comfortable. The former walk-on-turned-starter was jittery from the get-go, and on the opening drive, he literally dropped the ball while running for 14 yards (though he quickly recovered). Bennett never seemed in sync Monday and didn’t look like the guy who led Georgia to an impressive playoff victory over Michigan just a few weeks ago. 

In one of the more bizarre moments of the night, with Georgia leading 13-12 in the fourth quarter, Bennett found himself in a disastrous situation in which he tried to throw the ball away, but a hit by Christian Harris resulted in an "accidental fumble." Alabama recovered and scored five plays later to regain the lead.

That’s when Bennett decided he couldn’t let his team lose because of his mistakes. 

"I just knew there was going to be no way we were going to let a turnover like that stop us from winning a national championship," he said postgame. "I wasn’t going to be the reason we lost to them."

"He won this game for Georgia" — RJ Young on Stetson Bennett

RJ Young breaks down the play of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, who was outstanding down the stretch.

Bennett promptly redeemed himself and led Georgia on consecutive touchdown drives — one capped by a 40-yard bomb to Adonai Mitchell and the other with a 15-yard pass to Brock Bowers. Both were aided by uncharacteristic Alabama pass interference calls, in part due to a depleted secondary.

Even after those heroic moments that earned Bennett offensive player of the game, Alabama was down only a possession. But with less than a minute to play, Young threw his second interception of the game — just his seventh of the season — and freshman Kelee Ringo returned it for a 79-yard touchdown. 

Smart was euphoric, sprinting — and jumping — down the sideline while shouting at Ringo to go down. 

"The sad thing is I was screaming [at Ringo] to get down, and that was the wrong play there," Smart said later. "I saw the receiver coming behind him, and a pessimistic thought or whatever, I was worried about the guy stripping the ball from behind."

Kelee Ringo's game-sealing interception left Kirby Smart, far right, and all of Georgia jumping for joy. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

While both defenses were impressive on the night, what with Anderson’s unblockability and Jordan Davis’ omnipresence, there were few fireworks for most of the game, highlighted by five field goals in the first half.

Then came the bonkers final 18 minutes.

Alabama was already without star wide receiver John Metchie, who tore his ACL against Georgia in the SEC title game. Then, early in the second quarter, the Tide lost another top receiver in Jameson Williams when he suffered a noncontact knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of the night. 

In their absence, Young looked to freshmen such as Ja’Corey Brooks and Agiye Hall to make plays. While those guys are surefire up-and-comers we’ll watch in years to come, their inexperience resulted in dropped balls that Metchie and Williams might have caught. 

For example, in the midst of a promising, 17-play, 68-yard drive that started on Alabama’s 3-yard line, Young and Hall just missed connecting on a crucial third-and-11. Alabama went through a series of uncharacteristic events after that, including a blocked, 48-yard field-goal attempt, a busted run coverage that resulted in James Cook ripping off a 67-yard carry, a facemask penalty in the red zone and a rushing touchdown allowed — only the Tide's ninth of the season.

What does this loss mean for Alabama?

RJ Young discusses what Alabama's loss in the national championship means for the program and Nick Saban's legacy.

Bennett took over from there. As the clock wound down and the confetti was prepped to fall, the quarterback was visibly emotional on the sideline. Much has been made about his story being one for Hollywood, from starting as a walk-on to playing in junior college to becoming the starting quarterback at his dream school. He has been scrutinized and doubted; even his own fan base initially preferred backup JT Daniels.

In fact, Monday night on Twitter, there were some suggesting Daniels should start the second half — a quarterback switch that would have been similar to Alabama replacing Jalen Hurts with Tua Tagovailoa in that other title game against Georgia. Ultimately, though, Smart stuck with Bennett, just like he did all season. And Bennett delivered, going 17-for-26 for 224 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Before leaving Alabama for Georgia in 2015, Smart was an assistant for Saban for 11 years, which included time at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins. He wouldn't have left Saban’s staff for just any job, but his alma mater was the right one. With the Bulldogs, he would strive to take what he learned from his mentor and apply it in Athens. 

"I love Kirby," Saban said. "If we had to lose a national championship, I’d rather lose one to one of the former assistants who certainly did a great job for us and has done a great job for his program and his team. If any team deserves it, they deserve it. 

"I’m really proud of him. And I’m proud of the way he has been able to coach his team and the consistency they’ve played with all year."

Smart finally did what Saban prepared him to do.

Laken Litman covers college football and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously covered college football, college basketball, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and the Olympics at Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. Her first book, written in partnership with Rizzoli and Sports Illustrated and titled "Strong Like a Woman," will be published this spring marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

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