Anyone trying to diminish the significance of Saturday's matchup between No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama forgot to tell the players.
The 12-team College Football Playoff means a loss wouldn't have seriously threatened either team's hopes of making the field — not yet, at least — but both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide battled down the stretch like a trophy was on the line as they delivered another instant classic.
The finish was incredible. The start was perhaps just as remarkable because of the way underdog Alabama dominated every facet of the game. The Crimson Tide piled on three touchdowns in the first half, torching Georgia defensively and taking advantage of mistakes by Carson Beck and the offense.
By the fourth quarter, fortune turned the Bulldogs' way. That didn't mean Alabama was out of magic just yet.
Here's a look at how Jalen Milroe and the Tide survived Georgia's 28-point comeback and picked up a massive win on Saturday.
MORE: What to know about new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer
Georgia vs. Alabama box score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F | |
| Georgia | 0 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 34 |
| Alabama | 21 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 41 |
Alabama was a slight home underdog against Georgia, which hadn't lost a regular season game since 2020. Kalen DeBoer's squad seemed to take that personally, coming out with a gameplan that threw the Bulldogs completely off their game.
The Tide scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and added another in the opening minutes of the second quarter, getting chunks of yards through the air and on the ground. An interception by Beck worsened matters for Georgia, setting up an almost immediate Alabama score.
It took until the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs to seriously cut into a deficit that stretched to 28-0 at one point, but anyone watching could tell Georgia had collected itself and started to tighten the screws defensively. Beck and the offense scored deep into the third quarter to cut the deficit to two possessions, but an Alabama field goal before the end of the quarter stretched it back to three.
Nearly everything has to go well to complete this kind of comeback — but that's not how it happened. Alabama managed a huge strip-sack of Beck on the first drive of the fourth quarter, putting the ball in Milroe's hands with an 18-point lead and less than 14 minutes on the clock, only to punt within just over two minutes.
That's about when Georgia's offense found success with a faster tempo. The Bulldogs made up 80 yards in less than two minutes, scoring on a catch by Lawson Luckie. The defense got the ball back to the offense after less than three minutes, and the offense made up 78 yards in just four plays.
By that point, Georgia trailed by just five with more than five minutes on the clock. Questionable clock management by Alabama after a first down got the ball back to Bulldogs with just under three minutes left, despite the Tide actually picking up a first down. It took all of 11 seconds for Alabama's lead to disappear.
Beck threw a deep ball to Dillon Bell, and once Bell caught it, the Tide seemed to know they were better off letting him score and giving the offense a chance to respond.
Dillon Bell 67 yards to the HOUSE, to take the lead.
— Jake (@jakekolp9) September 29, 2024
This game... pic.twitter.com/LqMqTwbHsV
That's exactly what Alabama did. Not to be outdone, Milroe hit 17-year-old Ryan Williams for a 75-yard score on the first play of the drive — he might have been better off going down rather than scoring, but it's tough to stop that kind of momentum in the moment.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024
RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G
MORE: Meet Alabama super freshman Ryan Williams
A two-point conversion restored Alabama's lead to seven, but Beck had more than two minutes to try and match the touchdown. It never happened. A much slower, agonizing drive ended when Beck was intercepted in the end zone by true freshman Zabien Brown. Beck didn't have to throw up a prayer on first down with 47 seconds left, but he thought he might have the touchdown. Brown had other ideas.
No, Georgia's playoff hopes aren't dashed and arguably not damaged much at all under the current format. The chase for a first-round bye is critical, though, and the Bulldogs can't get there without winning the SEC. If the Bulldogs are going to win the SEC, their path now might require them to finish the job against this Alabama team in December.
