Nick Saban wins a national title and then figures out the next. It’s part of his famed Process.
Saban’s sixth national title, and fifth in nine years, was different, not simply because it put him in a tie with Alabama icon Bear Bryant for the most by any major college football coach. This time, one quarterback, Jalen Hurts, led the Crimson Tide into the championship game and another, freshman Tua Tagovoila, directed a second-half comeback in Monday night’s 26-23 overtime win over Georgia in Atlanta.
A quarterback competition seems inevitable.
Saban has months to decide which quarterback gives Alabama (13-1) the best chance for a repeat. He allows himself far less time to celebrate actually winning titles, even ones as dramatic as this one. That doesn’t mean he won’t remember it fondly.
“This will be a game that I’ll never forget,” Saban said Tuesday morning.
Trailing 13-0 at halftime, Saban turned to Tagovailoa. The five-star lefty from Hawaii delivered in a big way, threading a fourth-down pass to Calvin Ridley for a tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter and then leading a drive for a potential winning field goal. Andy Pappanastos missed a 36-yard attempt to send the game into overtime.
After the Bulldogs (13-2) settled for a field goal, Tagovailoa was sacked. He responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith to touch off the latest confetti-dripping celebration for Alabama a year after absorbing a last-second loss to Clemson in the championship game.
It set the stage for a quarterback competition between Tagovailoa and Hurts, who is 26-2 as a starter and has helped Alabama make two title-game appearances.
Tagovailoa was named offensive player of the game, making plays running and passing, then did not sleep much before Tuesday’s news conference.
“I couldn’t sleep because, if I slept, I would have never woken up to come to this thing,” he said. “Aside from that, it was a good team win. I still can’t believe that this is what happened.”
Final poll: Alabama received 57 of 61 first-place votes in the the final Associated Press rankings to take the top spot. Unbeaten Central Florida got the other four first-place votes but was ranked sixth, still the highest in school history.
Georgia finished second. USC finished 12th, Washington 16th and Stanford 20th.
Cardinal declares: Junior safety Justin Reid announced he will forgo his senior season at Stnford to enter the NFL draft. He is the third Cardinal underclassman to turn pro, joining defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and tight end Dalton Schultz.
The first-team All-Pac-12 selection was second on the Cardinal in tackles with 99. His five interceptions tied for first in the conference.
— Tom Fitzgerald
Sandusky settlement: Penn State has settled a lawsuit by a man who claimed former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky molested him in 2007, when he was about 14 years old. The settlement notice posted Monday on the Philadelphia courts website was confirmed by a lawyer for the plaintiff, called John Doe in case documents.
The university has paid more than $109 million to settle Sandusky abuse claims.