January 08, 2018 08:09 PM
The Latest on the College Football Playoff national football championship game on Monday night (all times local):
9:02 p.m.
Georgia has taken a 3-0 lead in the College Football Playoff championship game, with Rodrigo Blankenship kicking a 41-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter.
The Bulldogs got into position after moving from their 21 to the Alabama 24 in 14 plays.
The big play on the drive was Sony Michel's 26-yard run to the Alabama 26 on a third-and-20 after Anthony Averett crashed through from the left side to sack Jake Fromm.
Michel's run was reviewed to see if he stepped out of bounds before the 26, but the Big Ten officiating crew's spot was upheld.
Alabama had a chance to take the lead in the first quarter, but Andy Pappanastos missed a 40-yard field goal.
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8:35 p.m.
Georgia turned over the ball on its opening possession of the national championship game but came away unscathed after Alabama missed a field goal.
Tony Brown wrestled a long pass away from Georgia's Javon Wims to set up the Crimson Tide at their 36.
But Alabama failed to come away with points. Andy Pappanastos' 35-yard field goal was nullified by a false start, and he pulled his second attempt from 40 yards wide left.
The Crimson Tide forced Georgia to punt on its second possession with 9:04 left in the first quarter.
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8:20 p.m.
The College Football Playoff national championship game between Alabama (12-1) and Georgia (13-1) is under way at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Frank Beamer, Mack Brown and Matt Stinchcomb — named to the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame on Monday — were on the field for the coin toss along with honorary captains O.J. Howard of Alabama and Herschel Walker of Georgia.
Alabama called tails and won the toss and deferred until the second half. They picked off Georgia on the third play from scrimmage.
This is the 68th all-time meeting between the Southeastern Conference rivals and first since 2015, when Alabama won 38-10 in the regular season.
Alabama is in the title game for the third year in a row and seeking its fifth national title under Saban since 2009. Georgia, led by second-year coach and former Saban assistant Kirby Smart, is looking for its first championship since 1980.
The Crimson Tide reached the title game with a 24-6 Sugar Bowl win over Clemson. The Bulldogs advanced with a 54-48 double-overtime win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
President Donald Trump is in attendance and was on the field during the national anthem.
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8:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump was on the field for the national anthem before the College Football Playoff national title game.
Trump walked onto the field accompanied by the ROTC units from Georgia and Alabama. He was greeted by mostly cheers from the crowd on hand to watch the game between Alabama and Georgia.
Trump waved to the crowd before the Zac Brown Band sang the anthem. Hand placed over his heart, Trump appeared to sing along at times.
No players were on the field yet. That's unlike the NFL, where some players this season protested racial injustice by kneeling during the anthem — often drawing Trump's ire.
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7:45 p.m.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a bit of water dripping on to the sideline, seemingly coming from high above the field.
Around the 20-yard line on Alabama's side of the field, but off the playing field, a few drops could be spotted falling on to the green artificial turf.
A stadium security worker wearing a blue shirt was standing where the water was landing and had wets spots on his shirt.
There have been issues with the stadium's signature retractable roof since construction began on the facility. The roof has only been opened once for football since the stadium opened in August.
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7:15 p.m.
The crowd is trickling into Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the kickoff for Monday night's College Football Playoff national championship game about an hour away.
Alabama native and former NFL star Terrell Owens is among the crowd that navigated the consistent chilly drizzle outside the stadium and security lines to get into the building.
Owens, from Alexander City, Alabama, wore a wool knit Crimson Tide cap and talked with the SEC Network before the contest, telling host Paul Finebaum that his dream growing up wasn't the NFL, it was to play for Alabama.
If he had, the Crimson Tide might have had another national crown or two in their trophy case.
Owens instead played at Chattanooga and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1996. He had 1,078 catches in 15 seasons with five NFL teams.
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6:45 p.m.
Alabama radio play-by-play announcer Eli Gold says he has been told that President Trump will be on the Alabama Radio Network during the College Football Playoff national championship game between the Crimson Tide and Georgia.
Gold says network officials reached out to the White House through the Alabama governor's office last week to request an interview with the president and heard back in the last day or so that Trump agreed to come.
Gold says nothing is definitive but if Trump comes on it would like be after the first quarter.
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6:30 p.m.
Georgia won't be at full strength at tight end in its national championship game against Alabama.
Sophomore Charlie Woerner, who set a career high with three catches in the Bulldogs' Rose Bowl playoff win over Oklahoma last week, was on crutches when the team entered Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Monday night's game.
Coach Kirby Smart said Sunday Woerner's status was doubtful after the sophomore suffered a leg injury in last week's win, so the crutches were not a big surprise.
Woerner, listed with Isaac Nauta behind starting tight end Jeb Blazevich, had nine catches for 100 yards this season.
Woerner is the nephew of former Georgia defensive back and return specialist Scott Woerner, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Scott Woerner was a standout on Georgia's 1980 national championship team.
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3:30 a.m.
No. 4 Alabama faces No. 3 Georgia in an all-Southeastern Conference College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban tries to tie former Alabama coach Bear Bryant's record six major poll national championships. Saban has led the Tide to four national championships since 2009, and the last three national championship games.
Georgia, coached by former Saban assistant Kirby Smart, is looking for its first national championship since 1980.
The Bulldogs feature the most prolific running back combination in college football in senior Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. They combined for six touchdowns in the Bulldogs semifinal victory against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama has to No. 1 rushing defense in the country and smothered Clemson in the Sugar Bowl semifinal to get here.
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