Alabama completed one of the most incomprehensible comebacks in college football championship history on Monday.
The Crimson Tide, down 13 points to Georgia at halftime in the College Football Playoff championship game, brought out true freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to help engineer a 26-23 overtime win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
MORE: Shop for Alabama national title gear
Tagovailoa completed 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He engineered three scoring drives in the second half to help the Tide overcome that 13-0 deficit, the third-highest in championship game history.
The first score came on the Tide's second drive of the half, in which Tagovailoa completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. After throwing an interception on the next drive, Tagovailoa led the Tide to a field goal. They were forced to punt on the next drive but got a touchdown on a fourth-and-4 pass from Tagovailoa to Calvin Ridley in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa nearly led Alabama to the win at the end of regulation, but Andy Pappanastos' 36-yard field goal attempt hooked left, sending the game to overtime.
After Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 51-yard field goal to give his team a 23-20 lead in overtime, Tagovailoa hit fellow freshman DeVonta Smith for a 41-yard score.
Tua Tagovailoa went legend tonight. #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/6lBW8mwl0t
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) January 9, 2018
It took more than just a fantastic effort from Tagovailoa, however. The defense held Georgia to 142 yards after giving up 223 in the first. The lone score was an 80-yard touchdown connection between fellow freshman QB Jake Fromm and Mecole Hardman. The Tide also got an interception — right after Tagovailoa's interception — that led to a field goal that made the score 20-13.
Alabama's win gave coach Nick Saban his fifth national championship at the school and sixth overall, tying Alabama legend Bear Bryant for most all time in the FBS.
