Alabama fell short to the Georgia Bulldogs by a score of 33-18 Monday night in Lucas Oil Stadium. The National Championship is the first for Georgia since 1980. Many considered Georgia to be the best team all year, even after Alabama defeated them soundly in the SEC Championship Game. Now it is official. Georgia got their trophy.
Truthfully, this Alabama team made it further than they probably should have. For most of the season they looked like a team not quite ready to compete for a national title. But compete they did.
Bryce Young’s talent and heart continually overcame a lack of pass protection that would have broken, both figuratively and literally, most quarterbacks. Young, in his typical fashion, took responsibility for the loss.
“We had a lot of opportunities, moved the ball relatively well. We did some stuff well. We didn’t execute, and at the end of the day, that’s on me,” said Young.
“I love my guys. I’ll forever love my guys. I wouldn’t trade my guys for anything,” Young continued. “And … it’s a little tough that I let them down today. But I love those guys and they stepped up. Adversity has been our thing all year. I’ve just gotta do better with it.”
Those are the words of a leader. But they aren’t true.
The truth is that Bryce Young carried this offense.
The offensive line, save the above average performance in the SEC Championship game, did not consistently protect their quarterback. No quarterback has ever won the Heisman Trophy with such limited help from the big men up front. Never.
But this is not intended to be a shot at the offensive line. They had their moments. As mentioned, they played a key role in the Bama victory in Atlanta. They also bulldozed the Cincinnati defense in a throwback game where Alabama completely committed to the running game.
That game saw Alabama take complete control by running the ball 47 times for 301 yards.
But that game plan was never going to work against Georgia. It was a one off, designed to take advantage of Cincinnati’s 3-3-5 stack defense, led by two lock-down corners who limit the pass as much as any two players in the country. They are that good.
To beat Georgia, Alabama would have to throw the ball and run it just enough to keep the Bulldogs’ stingy defense honest.
Nick Saban and Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien also knew that Georgia would attack the Alabama offensive line in a different way than they did just 37 days prior. They had no choice, really.
Gone would be the intricate, looping pressures from the front seven. That scheme was ineffective. Young sees the field too well and has the skills to deliver the ball both quickly and accurately.
This time Georgia would bring the pressure in a more straight line approach to the quarterback. And Alabama knew it. Everyone knew it.
Auburn had actually provided the blueprint just one week before the SEC Championship. The fact that Kirby Smart and his defensive masterminds didn’t take a similar approach is somewhat baffling.
Young, of course, faced another hurdle. He was now without John Metchie, who went down midway through the SEC Championship Game.
With Metchie out, Alabama’s paths to victory became fewer.
And when Jameson Williams left the game in the second quarter with a serious knee injury, they became fewer still.
That’s not an excuse. It just is what it is.
Football is a “next man up” sport. Injuries are a part of the game.
Recruiting and developing depth of talent is an absolute necessity if a team wants to be consistently competitive and make championship runs.
His adeptness at that is, as much as anything, what has made Nick Saban the most successful coach in college football.
But starters are starters for a reason. Metchie and Williams led the Alabama receivers for a reason. Williams injury proved to be the final domino in a string of injuries that even Alabama couldn’t overcome.
With his injury, the odds of an Alabama victory, and an 18th National Championship, were drastically diminished.
That’s not an excuse. It’s reality. You play with the players who are available.
Ultimately, the routes weren’t as sharp, the timing was off, and there were too many dropped passes.
The aforementioned paths to victory eventually became more like walking the razor’s edge. Young was constantly harassed by a Georgia defensive line that overwhelmed the Alabama front. The only answer was a quick and efficient passing game. And with Alabama’s best receivers watching from the sidelines, the answer just did not ring true.
In the end, Alabama had to go “next man up” too many times.
The most-talented and deepest college football program in the country wasn’t quite talented or deep enough. Not this year.
But anyone who was paying attention and being honest always knew that this team was a year away from greatness. The fact that they won the SEC Championship and competed for a National Championship is a testament to their talent, but more so to their competitive spirit.
Nick Saban knows it. He knew it all season. It’s the reason that we saw him take the “kinder, gentler” approach with this team.
They were young. They made a lot of mistakes. But they never stopped competing. By the end of the year, the defense was pretty salty. But the offense, by way of injuries, continued to weaken.
So Georgia won the championship they have coveted for over 40 years. The Bulldogs are National Champions. You can never take that from them, as the saying goes.
But the story doesn’t end here.
Nick Saban is not leaving Tuscaloosa any time soon. Many of these players, now battle tested, are not either.
Georgia fans are celebrating today, as they should. But this is not a “once and for all” moment when it comes to deciding which program is on top. This is just a snapshot in time.
Winning a championship is great. Sustaining a championship program is something else entirely. Nick Saban is the best in the business at doing that.
Alabama is not going anywhere – not by a long shot. They are 2021 SEC Champions. That is no small accomplishment. The 2022 version of Alabama will be more talented, with more depth, and certainly more tested than the 2021 version.
Even now, as much of the college football world celebrates, Nick Saban and team are regrouping. It’s going to be something to see.
