Every elite college football player strives for one thing: a National Championship. Players give everything they have in practices and games to step out on that National Championship field. But only two teams get that privilege. After a thrilling season and two intense semifinals, those two teams emerged. It was the college football giants Alabama and Georgia who would face off in the biggest game of the season.

Going into the championship, many believed the odds were in Alabama’s favor. With head coach Nick Saban and Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young pulling the strings, they were a force to be reckoned with. The Crimson Tide also had an impressive win streak with only one regular season loss and 18 total national championships in program history. Although the team had been plagued with injuries, the future looked bright for Alabama.

However, Georgia had one thing driving them that Alabama didn’t: revenge. In the SEC championship, they had endured a heartbreaking 41-24 loss to Bama. In addition to that, Georgia has lost just 9 games since 2016 and four of those were to Alabama (and three were with titles on the line). The Dawgs might not have been quite as star-studded as the Crimson Tide, with an early injury resulting in walk-on Stetson Bennett filling the role of starting quarterback, but they did not lack in quality. Like Alabama, they had a near-perfect regular season record. All in all, the College Football National Championship was shaping up to be a must-watch game.

On January 10, it was finally time for Alabama and Georgia to go head to head. Alabama got off to a good start, leading 9 to 6 at the end of the first half. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, star wide receiver Jameson Williams sustained a devastating injury as he jumped up to catch a ball in the second quarter. This, as well as an injury to Alabama’s other star wide receiver earlier in the season, crippled Alabama’s offense.

Georgia had a quiet first half, and Alabama seemed to have dominated possession. However, they came back strong in the second half. The Bulldogs started off the third quarter with an interception and ended it with their first lead of the game (thanks to a 67 yard rush by running back James Cook).

Finally, it was time for the decisive fourth quarter. The score was close, with Georgia leading 13-9, meaning it could be anybody’s game. Alabama started with some momentum by scoring another field goal and recovering a fumble at Georgia’s 16 yard line that resulted in a touchdown, but the tide soon turned on them. Georgia then explosively put 13 points up on the board. After no answer from Alabama, the Bulldogs sealed the deal with only 54 seconds remaining by rushing 79 yards for a pick-6.

As confetti fell from the ceiling, Georgia players, fans, and staff alike ran around hugging and screaming. The Bulldogs had accomplished a historic feat: winning their first National Championship since 1980. They had beaten the seemingly unbeatable Alabama program and avenged their earlier loss. The College Football National Championship was a thrilling game that erupted in the sports world.