Posted on 12/02/2018 6:17:19 AM PST by blam
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) speaks to fans after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game between Georgia and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Atlanta. Alabama won 35-28.
Jalen Hurts spent most of the season watching from the sideline, cheering on the guy who took his job and hoping for one more chance to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide.
He didn't pout. He didn't gripe. He didn't transfer.
On Saturday, with Alabama’s season hanging in the balance, Hurts got the call.
The junior quarterback threw for one touchdown and ran for another with a little more than a minute left on the clock, rallying the top-ranked Tide to a 35-28 victory over No. 4 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
It was a stunning twist on the scenario that played out less than 11 months earlier on the very same field.
"I've probably never been more proud of a player than Jalen," an emotional coach Nick Saban said moments after the triumph.
If this script had been pitched in Hollywood, it would've been laughed out of the room for being too implausible.
In last season's national title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, between these same two teams, Tua Tagovailoa replaced an ineffective Hurts at the start of the second half with Alabama trailing Georgia 13-0.
The replacement threw three touchdown passes, including a 41-yarder in overtime that gave the Tide a stunning 26-23 victory.
Tagovailoa won the starting job outright heading into this season and performed brilliantly before Saturday, throwing 36 touchdown passes with only two interceptions.
The SEC title game took a different path. Georgia put a beating on Tagovailoa, who was picked off twice, spent much of his spare time in the medical tent and was largely ineffective
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Amazing performance last night. I knew he would pull it off as he has played this season as a backup brilliantly.
I got some of that yesterday when I posted this:
SEC Championship 2018 -- Alabama vs. Georgia: Live Stream, Watch Online, TV Channel (4:00PM ET)
Despite the loss, I think Georgia deserves a spot in the playoffs. They’re the only team that stretched Alabama all year. Alabama, Clemson, Notre dame, and Georgia. Ohio State had a blowout loss, and Oklahoma won several squeakers. UCF didn’t have the competition the others had.
Next year Hurts will be a senior, Tua will be a junior and his little brother will be coming on board......Looks like Saban won't be hurting for QB's for quite a while......
Bear Bryant's Great-Grandson, Paul Tyson, Commits To Alabama
"As the No. 212 prospect in the 2019 class, Tyson is, on the surface, a good pickup for Saban and his staff."
He was playing injured and one could argue that he shouldn't have been in the game at all. But that's what winners do......
If he doesn't win the Heisman, it won't be because of yesterday's game.....
If he doesn't win, yesterday (IMO) will be the reason. There's no other blemish to a perfect season/record.
“...But I don’t think they would have stopped Bama either way.”
The game was close enough and GA couldn’t close the deal in the 4th quarter. The failure of the fake punt cost them; had it worked the coach would have been the smartest gambler this decade. The GA incomplete pass near the end zone within last minute looked like an obvious uncalled defensive pass interference to me. Even had GA got an interference call and scored to tie, the way GA defense played in the 4Q, AL still would have won.
Looks like Saban is on the horns of a dilemma at starting QB.
Auburn fan here but was glad to see him help win the game last night after what happened last year.
And glad the fans have supported him.
Daughter was in Band @ Auburn the year of the missed field goal and return for a touchdown and win by Auburn . . . and she still remembers all the awful things that were posted on social media to that poor kicker for Alabama that missed the field goal the he should commit suicide and many other horrible comments. Really? It is just a football game and the kid is what 19 or 20 years old.
Bama will also have Paul Tyson who is Bear Bryant’s great-grandson. However, he’ll have a tough time getting any play time with Tua or his brother.
by Ronald Evans 2 hours ago Follow @revansbama
Late Sunday morning the Playoff Selection Committee will announce Alabama football as the No. 1 seed in the final four. The other slots will not be so easy.
Sunday will not be an anxious day for Alabama football fans. The undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide will be seeded No. 1 in final rankings released by the Playoff Selection Committee. Clemson fans also have no reason to sweat as the Tigers will be No. 2.
It gets tougher after those first two picks. The fanbases of three schools, Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State will have an anxious Sunday morning.
As tough as it will be on fans, the Selection Committee has even more reason to be nervous. The four years of the CFB Playoff selections have been filled with drama. There have been aggrieved schools left out every year. But most college football experts, not clouded by a specific team allegiance, believe the Committee has successfully picked the four best teams each season.
The Committee has a largely thankless task. It must maintain objectivity while making its decisions based on known standards. There is considerable debate over what those standards are and more contentiousness, over what they should be.
In reality, the Committee has a single purpose. Each year it is to select the best four teams to play for a national championship. Conference commissioners may wish it otherwise but conference championships are only one of many data points.
This season there could be three Power Five conference champions not in the final four. To make matters more complicated, there could even be a two-loss team. The other wrinkle guaranteed to create alarm will be a debate over whether undefeated Notre Dame deserves the slot it will be given, despite not playing a 13th game.
The situation is ripe for widespread dissatisfaction.
Who is sure to be in?
Alabama football will be No. 1, followed by Clemson at No. 2. Undefeated Notre Dame will be in despite some doubt the Irish are one of CFB’s best four teams. Notre Dame will be No. 3 or No. 4.
Who gets the fourth slot?
If the committee chooses Oklahoma or Ohio State, Notre Dame will stay at No. 3. But if the committee takes the bold position of deciding two-loss Georgia is one of the four best, the Committee will have a lot of explaining to do.
The Committee took considerable heat last season, picking two SEC schools. If they take two again, one being two-loss Georgia – the backlash from the Big 12 and the B1G will swell into louder demands for an expanded field.
Who deserves to be in?
Alabama football, Clemson and Georgia are three of the four best teams. Good arguments can be made for each of the other three but none of them are clearly the fourth best team.
Will the Committee be comfortable with an Alabama football vs. Georgia rematch in one semi-final? Kirby said the Tide does not want Georgia again. Nick said the same thing. FWIW, the Irish, Sooners and Buckeyes should not want the Bulldogs either.
With all the dissatisfaction this season’s selections will bring, we will add another. Alabama football having to beat Georgia again in a semi-final, while Clemson waltzes past the Irish – I call that unfair.
I hope that OSU doesn’t get the fourth spot because I want to see them play Washington in the Rose Bowl.
I was a great game. Great atmosphere. Great fans. Great teams.
The problem with the fake punt gamble is that Alabama was on to it. They kept the defense on the field and didn’t put in the punt return team. The Georgia coach has to call a time out to stop the play when he sees that. But he didn’t. I don’t like the play anyway but you really can’t run it when you see the defense lined up like that.
The start of the 3rd quarter was absolutely cringe-worthy, like Saban was in the midst of having his pants pulled down around his knees and his fanny spanked.
And then ... Hurts.
That was a life-defining event that will live in Alabama lore as long as the houndstooth hat. That young man has some serious gris-gris.
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