12:05 AM
Georgia has been waiting for 41 years.
With 54 seconds left in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game presented by AT&T, Georgia's Kelee Ringo picked off a pass from Young and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown, the longest pick-six in championship game history.
As the clock expired, the Georgia assistant coaches ran to the elevators in the press box and one yelled, "Hell yeah!" as they cheered together.
It was a different outcome than usual, as both Alabama and Georgia lost in the SEC Championship Game, and the national title game winner lost again. Alabama beat Georgia in overtime in the national championship.
Some things don't stay the same.
The streak of seven wins in the series was broken by Alabama. The Alabama coach is 25-2 against his former assistants, with the only losses coming this season against Georgia and Texas A&M.
There was no shortage of drama or entertainment between the old foes, despite the critics' complaints. The first half was a defensive battle with neither team scoring a touchdown and neither team converting on two-point conversions. They delivered a game that was 180 degrees different from the one they played a month ago in the SEC championship, when Alabama dominated Georgia up front.
With 3:33 left, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Brock Bowers, giving Georgia a cushion in an otherwise tight game.
Bennett found Adoni Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 8:09 remaining that gave the bulldogs a precarious 19-18 lead. Georgia covered 75 yards in four plays on that drive, but came up short on the two-point conversion. This was the first time that Smart was able to hang onto a lead in the series, and he improved to 1-4 against Alabama as Georgia's head coach.
The game was littered with costly penalties and one strange ruling on the field that led to Alabama's 18-13 lead. The officials ruled that Bennett fumbled the ball when he was sacked by Christian Harris and Alabama's Brian Branch recovered it just before he ran out of bounds, giving the Tide the ball on Georgia's 16-yard line.
It looked like it was an incomplete pass, but the ball bounced before it went out of bounds, and Branch caught it, with replay video showing his foot still inbounds.
Bennett was sacked four times and had a fumbled the other night. The former walk-on continued to do what he's done his entire career - overcome obstacles and naysayers - and this time, he earned a national title for it.
The smashmouth defenses took center stage early. Alabama's 17-play drive ended with a blocked field goal attempt when Carter leaped up and got his hand on it. It was the first time in three years that Alabama had a field goal blocked. The play set up Georgia on its own 20-yard line, a drive that would lead to the first lead of the game.
On the first play of the drive, senior James Cook took off for 67 yards, landing Georgia on Alabama's 13-yard line. Georgia took the lead from the one-yard line after Alabama was flagged for a facemask penalty on Kenny McIntosh.
The first real burst of energy in the game came when Zamir White punched it in. The first time all night that Georgia had taken advantage of a running game that seemed to be working was on that 78 yard drive.
Georgia's defense failed to get any sacks or turnovers against the Tide in the SEC championship game, so much so that much of the conversation had centered around that. Both defenses and placekickers took center stage.
It was the first time in the history of theCFP that neither team scored a touchdown in the first half, and the five field goals tied for the most in a national championship game. Georgia scored six points in the first half.
The nickname of Georgia's tailback was being changed by fans as the team was having success with its run game. He had 84 yards, one touchdown and 6.5 yards per carry.
Bennett was off to a rocky start as the Tide pressured him on his first three drops. He struggled under pressure in the SEC championship game. Georgia fans were already calling for him to be benched in the first quarter, until a 52 yard pass to Pickens gave them the spark they needed.
After a 40-yard reception by Jameson Williams helped the Tide to a 6-3 lead in the second quarter, he appeared to suffer an injury to his left knee. Williams was able to walk to the locker room on his own.
John Metchie III, Alabama's second-leading receiver, suffered a season-ending tornACL in the SEC championship game, and it was a significant blow to Alabama's offense. Williams and Metchie accounted for over half of the Tide's receiving yards entering Monday night.
It wasn't enough to stop the Tide's passing game.
Freshman receiver Agiye Hall entered the game after being targeted just three times all season. He was targeted four times in the first half.
"We have other players that have an opportunity," he said at halftime. There are a lot of young guys. They have talent, so they have to play with a competitive character. They don't have the experience, but they will get it tonight.
It wasn't enough.
The SEC is the only conference that has had two teams play for the national title in the same year. A reporter asked SEC commissioner Greg Sankey who would win tonight.
Sankey said he did.
It was another win for the conference on college football's biggest stage.
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