MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – I keep telling myself that what I saw a few nights ago in Pasadena, California was not some sort of dream. It was real. I was there to see one of the best college football games ever.
It was not at just any other stadium. It was at the Rose Bowl. It was on that hallowed field where games have been played for almost 100 years. And the Georgia Bulldogs rose from the dead – from a 17-point deficit to win in double overtime. It’s still amazing. Georgia got their window of opportunity right before halftime – after Oklahoma had taken that 17-point lead – when they squib kicked a kickoff. Why in the world did the Sooners do that? It’s probably something their fans will be asking for years to come.
Georgia could have just taken a knee at midfield and said, “Let’s try this again in the second half.” The previous coach would have done that. Instead, knowing that Oklahoma was getting the ball to start the second half and had not been stopped much in the first 30 minutes – head coach Kirby Smart did everything possible to get a few yards to give Rodrigo Blankenship a chance at a miracle kick. And Blankenship made it.
Cutting that lead to 14 made a difference. Then if Georgia could stop Oklahoma, one touchdown could make it a one-score game. Well, Georgia didn’t just hold Oklahoma, they shut the Sooners down for 20 minutes, which was all the offense needed to take the lead.
But, what a game. Georgia down by 17. Rallied to take the lead. Lost the lead. Tied the game. Double Overtime. And then the player who had done so well and then fumbled – Sony Michel – had the last laugh with the game-winning touchdown in the second overtime. And how about that block from Jake Fromm on the Michel run? Pretty impressive.
So now, we’ve got to forget about one of the best games ever and look ahead to this Monday night. It’s the first time in 35 years Georgia will have a chance at winning a national championship. 35 years!
The Bulldogs will play a team from Alabama who is used to this. They go to a championship game all the time, and they usually win it. But that means nothing on Monday. This Georgia team proved a few nights ago in the granddaddy of them all that it is special.
Many will root for Georgia, but how many will think they’ll actually beat the mighty Crimson Tide? Probably not many. But who cares. If this team runs the ball effectively, if the offensive line blocks well – as it did Monday night on the many long runs – and if the defense can make big plays… Georgia is going to win a national championship.
What has been a dream for Georgia fans – for us Georgia fans – may be close to being a reality. This has been a dream season. No Hollywood writer could have come up with this script. But there is one more scene, one more chapter left. Jake Fromm, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Lorenzo Carter and Roquan Smith are the main characters, and a man named Kirby is going to led those kids on the biggest stage of their lives. And after what we saw in Pasadena Monday night, no one should think they can’t win – even against Alabama.
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