This year’s college football championship took place in Indianapolis where a new champion was crowned. photo by Jason Getz - USA Today Sports
The conclusion of the college football season brings Georgia the win they deserved.
Not since 1980 has the University of Georgia lifted the College Football National Championship trophy. However, the sweeter victory was found in finally beating the University of Alabama, a football program that has haunted them year after year, including this year when they beat Georgia in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship. With their victory, another great college football season has ended and an evaluation of the season is almost ceremonial.
In every college football season, patterns begin to emerge and fans around the nation begin to build the reputation of each team. Georgia staked its claim as the jealous competitor who cringes in the success of their rivaled Alabama team. Alabama progressed their reputation as the golden child who everyone dislikes because they have achieved more success than is reasonable. The University of Michigan prevailed as a winner upon beating Ohio State University for the first time since 2011. The University of Cincinnati took on the unexpected hero role that excited the hopes of fans nationwide. These four teams were the ones who made the cut. The College Football Playoffs are played among the four best teams of the season. The other teams compete in their respective bowls. This year, the four teams that made the playoffs are as follows from number one seed to the number four seed: the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Michigan Wolverines, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Cotton Bowl is the semifinal game played between the number one ranked seed and the number four ranked seed. Alabama played a hopeful Cincinnati team who never really stood a chance against the Tide. After four quarters of football, the score was 27-6 in favor of Alabama. However, kudos to the Bearcats are in order as plans are set to move their program to the Big 12 conference within the next few years. This is in response to their recent domination within the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The Orange Bowl is the semifinal where the winner moves on to compete in the national championship. This year, Georgia played a confident Michigan in the Bowl. However, the final result showed that the game was never close. Georgia pulled away in the competition led by senior quarterback, Stetson Bennett.
Next came the championship game. Number one seed, Alabama, took on number three seed, Georgia, in Indianapolis. The northward location brought the teams to Lucas Oil Stadium, many miles away from either team’s hometown. Georgia held Alabama to single digits until the fourth quarter; however, the difference in the game came from the numerous interceptions made by the Georgia defense. With a little more than three minutes left in the game, Alabama held within one point of the leading Bulldogs. But when Georgia ran in for a touchdown and then intercepted the Heisman trophy winner, Bryce Young, the University of Georgia secured their title as national champions.
Indeed, the success of this Georgia team may lead to many more future successes and possibly the creation of a dynasty. With the recruiting power of the program combined with the momentum possessed by this recent title, Georgia may be the new team to dethrone. Not to mention, Stetson Bennet announced his return to the University of Georgia for the 2022 football season in what will be his final year. Will his experience propel another dominant team? One can only wait and see.
