Right before halftime in Monday's Rose Bowl, the Oklahoma Sooners executed a perfect play near the goal line.
It was the reverse throwback touchdown pass to a wide open Baker Mayfield in the end zone, and OU increased its lead to 31-14.
At that point, I began perusing social media and made a couple of posts myself. No, I did not post anything along the lines of "This one's over," but I might as well have had.
After all, OU's dominant offense was marching up and down the field on Georgia, and the Bulldogs had essentially no answer. I'm sure a lot of people, OU fans and non-OU fans, were thinking the Sooners were on their way to Atlanta for the national title game.
I did not see the now-infamous squib kick.
I was still on my phone when it happened. The next time I looked up at the TV screen, Georgia had the ball near midfield with a chance to kick a field goal right before halftime.
You know what happened after that. The Bulldogs did kick that field goal, and the Rose Bowl eventually turned into a game full of momentum shifts and twists and turns.
Then OU got the lead right back on that scoop-and-score fumble return for a TD. And the Sooners held Georgia on the next series, forcing a punt.
OU had the ball and the lead in the final minutes. But the offense couldn't get a couple of first downs and drain the clock.
Georgia tied it up and OU got the ball in the final minute of regulation. OK, Baker Mayfield, this is why you came back for your senior season at Oklahoma, for moments like this.
Alas, no dice. The Bulldogs held, forced a punt and sat on the ball to force overtime.
Then Georgia got the ball first to start overtime and kicked a field goal. All OU needed was a touchdown, and the ballgame was theirs.
But on fourth-and-1, placekicker Austin Seibert trotted onto the field instead. Although he did kick the field goal to force a second overtime, to me that might have been the most questionable decision on the night. Even if Georgia did a better job of shutting down OU's offense after halftime, I still thought the Sooners were better off taking that chance and going for it and get a first down.
Then Seibert came back onto the field to start the second overtime, only to have his field goal attempt blocked.
Two plays later, it was over and it was Georgia, not Oklahoma, going to Atlanta to play Alabama for the national title.
And Sooner Nation launched into a wide range of emotions like shock, frustration and disbelief.
The great ride the Sooners took the fans all season, the statement win at Ohio State, the comebacks against Texas and Kansas State, the wild Bedlam game at Oklahoma State, the two wins against TCU, the climb back up the polls following the loss to Iowa State, just like that it was over.
Instead of relishing the chance to play Alabama for all the marbles, the off-season is suddenly here for OU. There will be question marks.
Obviously, the biggest one is replacing Mayfield. While Kyler Murray has a great chance to successfully fill Mayfield's cleats, can he also replicate the leadership, the arm, the elusiveness and quite frankly the swagger Mayfield had.
But can OU also withstand the loss of other key offensive personnel, including tackle Orlando Brown, who officially declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday? Can the Sooners be able to develop more defensive studs who can be capable of more than holding their own against the elite programs in the future come crunch time? And can Lincoln Riley, who by and large did a fantastic job in his first season as coach, continue to grow into the role and prove he can be very successful without having Mayfield at his side?
It will be an off-season full of uncertainty for the Sooners. Not to mention what-ifs.
As for this Monday's national title game, it appears as if Alabama is destined to win this whole thing once more. Kind of had a feeling that might happen once we saw the Crimson Tide's place on the No. 4 line instead of Ohio State when the College Football Playoff was officially announced.
So even though the Crimson Tide did not play for the SEC championship, they may end up winning the national championship. Just like the 2011 season, when Alabama also faced a fellow SEC team, LSU for the title, with Bama winning.
Go ahead and give Nick Saban another national title. Bama 20, Georgia 17.