2018 College Football Playoff National Championship

The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2017 season. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 26–23, coming back from a 13–0 deficit at halftime to secure the win in overtime. True freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and defensive tackle Daron Payne were respectively named the offensive and defensive players of the game.

2018 College Football Playoff National Championship
4th College Football Playoff National Championship
1234OT Total
Alabama 0010106 26
Georgia 013703 23
DateJanuary 8, 2018
Season2017
StadiumMercedes-Benz Stadium
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
MVPOffensive: #13 QB Tua Tagovailoa, Fr. Alabama
Defensive: #94 DT Daron Payne, Jr. Alabama
FavoriteAlabama by 3.5
National anthemZac Brown Band
RefereeDan Capron (Big Ten)[1]
Halftime showGeorgia Redcoat Marching Band
Million Dollar Band
Attendance77,430
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN and ESPN Radio
AnnouncersChris Fowler (play-by-play)
Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi (sideline) (ESPN)
Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe and Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio)
Nielsen ratings16.7 (28.44 million viewers)[2]
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes Radio
AnnouncersLalo Varela and Pablo Viruega (ESPN Deportes)
Kenneth Garay and Sebastian Martinez (ESPN Deportes Radio)

The College Football Playoff selection committee chose the semifinalists following the conclusion of the 2017 regular season. Alabama and Georgia advanced to the national championship after winning the semifinal games hosted by the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game respectively in January 2018. The championship game was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on January 8, 2018.

Background

The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia was announced as the host site for the fourth College Football National Championship on November 4, 2015.[3]

2018 College Football Playoff

Semifinals Championship
January 1 – Sugar Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
  1   Clemson 6  
  4   Alabama 24   January 8 – Championship
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
 
      4   Alabama (OT) 26
January 1 – Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
    3   Georgia 23
 
  2   Oklahoma 48
  3   Georgia (2OT) 54  

The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee selected four teams to advance to the playoff: the Clemson Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide.[4]

Teams

Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Clemson Tigers in the 2018 Sugar Bowl by a score of 24–6 to reach the championship game. The Tide had a 12–1 season, becoming the SEC West Division co-champions with the Auburn Tigers. The Crimson Tide were coached by Nick Saban.[5]

Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 Rose Bowl by a score of 54–48 in double overtime to reach the championship game. The Bulldogs had a 13–1 season claiming their 13th Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship with a rematch victory over the Auburn Tigers, 28–7. The Bulldogs were coached by Kirby Smart.[6]

Starting lineups

Alabama head coach Nick Saban
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart
AlabamaPositionPositionGeorgia
Offense
Calvin Ridley 1WRJavon Wims 7
Cam SimsWRRiley Ridley 4
Jonah Williams 1LTIsaiah Wynn 1
Ross Pierschbacher 5LGKendall Baker
Bradley Bozeman 6CLamont Gaillard 6
J. C. HassenauerRGBen Cleveland
Matt WomackRTAndrew Thomas 1
Hale HentgesTETBNick Chubb 2
Robert FosterWRTerry Godwin 7
Jalen Hurts 2QBJake Fromm 5
Damien Harris 3RBSony Michel 1
Defense
Da'Shawn Hand 4DEDavid Marshall
Daron Payne 1NGJohn Atkins
Isaiah Buggs 6DLDTTyler Clark
Terrell Lewis 3SLBLBDavin Bellamy
Mack Wilson 5MLBLBReggie Carter
Rashaan Evans 1WLBLBRoquan Smith 1
Deionte Thompson 5DBMalkom Parrish
Anthony Averett 4CBDeandre Baker 1
Levi WallaceCBAaron Davis
Minkah Fitzpatrick 1SSSDominick Sanders
Ronnie Harrison 3FSCBJ.R Reed
† = 2017 All-American
Selected in an NFL Draft
(number corresponds to draft round)

Source:[7]

Game summary

After winning the coin toss, Alabama deferred to the second half and Georgia received the ball to begin the game. After two plays, quarterback Jake Fromm attempted a pass downfield and was intercepted by Tony Brown. Alabama began their first drive of the game, and, after eleven plays, that drive ended with kicker Andy Pappanastos missing a 40-yard field goal. The teams each had three-and-outs for the game's first two punts. During Georgia's ensuing drive, the quarter ended, with no score.[8]

After a failed third down conversion, on the second play of the second quarter, Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 41-yard field goal to open the scoring and put Georgia in the lead by three. Alabama's ensuing drive went nowhere, as they gained four yards on three plays and punted. Georgia took the ball and drove down the field, and found themselves with a first and goal at the Alabama 10-yard-line; the Tide defense held, however, and the Bulldogs settled for a second field goal and took a 6–0 lead with just over seven and a half minutes until half. On Alabama's next drive, the Georgia defense held yet again and Alabama's JK Scott punted for the third time. Just prior to the punt, Georgia wide receiver Javon Wims was shown walking to the locker room, reportedly with a left shoulder injury. Both defenses then forced punts, and Georgia took back over with 1:19 remaining in the half on their own 31-yard-line. Nine plays later, on Alabama's 1-yard-line, Mecole Hardman took a direct snap, faked a handoff, and ran into the end zone for the game's first touchdown, putting Georgia up 13–0 going into halftime.[8]

Because they deferred the coin toss, Alabama received the ball first in the second half. They started their drive on their own 22-yard-line. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama's backup quarterback, started the second half for the Tide; that drive quickly resulted in a three-and-out. The initial punt was blocked, but an erroneous offside call gave the Tide another chance to punt. Georgia started their drive on their own 36-yard-line, but punted on 4th & 17. Alabama took over on their own 44-yard-line.[8] The teams then traded touchdowns on consecutive drives; Alabama scored their first points of the game on a 6-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Ruggs, but Georgia immediately responded with an 80-yard touchdown connection from Fromm to Mecole Hardman, putting Georgia up 20–7. On the second play of Alabama's ensuing drive, Tagovailoa, while scrambling to the left, threw into traffic and was intercepted by Georgia's Deandre Baker. Up 13, the Bulldogs took over possession of the ball on Alabama's 39-yard-line. The Tide defense responded immediately, however, as Raekwon Davis intercepted a Jake Fromm pass on the first play of Georgia's drive, returning the pick to the UGA 40-yard-line. The Tide gained fifteen yards on six plays and kicker Andy Pappanastos avenged his earlier miss with a 43-yard field goal that put Bama within ten. The teams then traded punts. Just prior to Alabama's punt, it was announced that an Alabama defensive back, Kyriq McDonald, had collapsed on the sideline; the situation was described as a "serious medical emergency". He was loaded onto a medical stretcher awake and conscious. Georgia could not muster anything on offense that drive, and punted. The fourth quarter saw Tagovailoa lead the Tide to come back and tie the game at 20 with 3:49. With three seconds remaining in the game, Andy Pappanastos missed a potential game-winning 36-yard field goal to the left, sending the game to overtime.[8]

In overtime, Georgia had an unsuccessful drive that resulted in both a three-and-out, and a 13-yard loss sack to Fromm. Georgia opted to attempt a 51-yard field goal, which they successfully made. On Alabama's first offensive play in overtime, Tagovailoa was sacked for a 16-yard loss, but immediately followed that with a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, in a play that has since been called "2nd and 26" by fans.[8] Tagovailoa was named the offensive player of the game, and Daron Payne was named the defensive player of the game.[9]

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Alabama Georgia
2 14:14 14 55 7:40 Georgia 41-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship 0 3
2 7:33 13 70 5:19 Georgia 27-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship 0 6
2 0:07 9 69 1:12 Georgia Mecole Hardman 1-yard touchdown run, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good 0 13
3 8:52 7 56 1:59 Alabama Henry Ruggs III 6-yard touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa, Andy Pappanastos kick good 7 13
3 6:52 4 93 1:55 Georgia Mecole Hardman 80-yard touchdown reception from Jake Fromm, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good 7 20
3 5:20 6 15 1:06 Alabama 43-yard field goal by Andy Pappanastos 10 20
4 9:24 8 71 2:15 Alabama 30-yard field goal by Andy Pappanastos 13 20
4 3:49 8 66 3:21 Alabama Calvin Ridley 7-yard touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa, Andy Pappanastos kick good 20 20
OT 4 -9 Georgia 51-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship 20 23
OT 2 26 Alabama DeVonta Smith 41-yard touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa 26 23
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 26 23

Statistics

1 2 3 4OT Total
No. 4 Crimson Tide 0 0 10 106 26
No. 3 Bulldogs 0 13 7 03 23
StatisticsAlabamaGeorgia
First downs2022
Plays–yards71–37177–365
Rushes–yards39–18445–133
Passing yards187232
Passing: Comp–Att–Int17–32–116–32–2
Time of possession26:1733:43
Sources: ESPN, StatBroadcast
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
AlabamaPassingTua Tagovailoa14/24, 166 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
RushingNajee Harris6 car, 64 yds
ReceivingCalvin Ridley4 rec, 32 yds, 1 TD
GeorgiaPassingJake Fromm16/32, 232 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
RushingSony Michel14 car, 98 yds
ReceivingRiley Ridley6 rec, 82 yds
Sources: ESPN, StatBroadcast

Broadcasting

The game was televised nationally by ESPN. On January 8, 2018, the network announced that its broadcast would feature a live performance by Kendrick Lamar during halftime. This performance was separate from the event proper at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (which featured a traditional halftime show with the marching bands of the participating teams), and originated from Centennial Olympic Park.[10]

Other National Championship selections

Following an undefeated season in the American Athletic Conference and their victory over the Auburn Tigers in the 2018 Peach Bowl, the UCF Knights claimed the national championship by virtue of being the only undefeated team in the FBS level of college football.[11][4] Adding to their argument was the fact that Auburn had defeated both Alabama and Georgia during the 2017 regular season. UCF held a victory parade at Disney World[12] and hung a national championship banner at their stadium to celebrate this achievement.[13] The school also paid national championship bonuses to all of its assistant coaches, many of whom left UCF after the Peach Bowl to follow head coach Scott Frost to his new head coaching job at Nebraska; Frost himself (who coached UCF in the game) did not receive such a bonus because he had already been paid all of the bonuses allowed by his UCF contract.[14]

The selection committee controversially ranked undefeated UCF 12th at the end of the regular season, below a number of two-loss teams from the Power Five conferences, which left them out of the CFP. The AP Poll ranked Alabama No. 1 in its final poll, receiving 57 first-place votes, while UCF was ranked No. 6 and received four first-place votes — the first time in the CFP era that the AP poll did not have a unanimous No. 1 team.[15] Additionally, the Knights finished the 2017 football season as the No. 1 team in the Colley Matrix rankings. The Colley Matrix was used in the past as one input to the BCS computer rankings and is included in a list of historical "national champion major selections".[16]

See also

References

  1. Kirshner, Alex (January 8, 2018). "A Big Ten officiating crew is working the all-SEC National Championship". SBNation.com. SB Nation. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  2. Volner, Derek (January 9, 2018). "Epic College Football Playoff National Championship Delivers Massive 16.7 Overnight, Up 9% Year-Over-Year". www.espnmediazone.com. ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  3. Alex Scarbrough (November 4, 2015). "Atlanta, Santa Clara and New Orleans land CFP title games for 2018–20". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  4. "Selection Committee Rankings: Final Top 25 Rankings" (PDF). College Football Playoff. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  5. "Alabama's Sugar Bowl win against Clemson sets up all-SEC final: Final score, stats, analysis". nola.com. January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. Emerson, Seth (January 1, 2018). "Georgia to play for national championship after Rose Bowl win in 2 OT". ajc.com. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  7. "CFP National Championship Game Book" (PDF). January 8, 2018. p. 5. Retrieved January 20, 2019 via rolltide.com.
  8. Hoffman, Benjamin; Drape, Joe; Tracy, Marc (January 8, 2018). "National Championship Game: Georgia vs. Alabama Live Score". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  9. Perez, A.J. (January 9, 2018). "CFP players of the game: Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Daron Payne". USA Today. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  10. "Kendrick Lamar to Perform at College Football Playoff Title Game". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  11. Baker, Matt (January 3, 2018). "UCF is really claiming a national championship". tampabay.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  12. Rollins, Khadrice (January 2, 2018). "UCF Is Having a Parade at Disney World for National Championship Caliber Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  13. Gartland, Dan (January 3, 2018). "UCF Is Hanging a National Championship Banner at Its Stadium". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  14. Chavez, Chris (January 3, 2018). "UCF AD Says Coaches Will Be Paid National Championship Bonuses". SI.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  15. "Alabama is No. 1 in final AP poll for 11th time; UCF 6th". Msn.com. January 9, 2018. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  16. Roger Simmons (January 9, 2018). "National champions: UCF Knights finish season ranked No. 1 in Colley Matrix". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
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