Alabama beats Georgia in overtime thriller to win another college football national title

Alabama, down 13-0 at the end of the first half, scored 20 points in the second half of Monday night's College Football Playoff championship game in Atlanta and another 6 points in overtime to beat the Georgia Bulldogs, 26-23, for the national title. This is the Crimson Tide's 17th national championship overall and its fifth since 2009 under head coach Nick Saban, who is now tied with Paul "Bear" Bryant as the winningest head coach in college football.
The game went into overtime when Alabama missed a 37-yard field goal at the end of regulation time. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a true freshman who replaced starting quarterback Jalen Hurts at halftime, threw the winning 41-yard touchdown to another freshman, DeVonta Smith, negating a 51-yard overtime field goal from Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship.
President Trump attended the game, and he stood on the field for the National Anthem. He sang along for part of it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also!" Trump tweeted before the game.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Is the British Army ready to deploy to Ukraine?
Today's Big Question The UK 'would be expected to play a major role' if a peacekeeping force is sent to enforce ceasefire with Russia
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The optics of Hamas' hostage releases
In The Spotlight 'Release certificates' and 'gift bags' part of 'strategic choreography' of prisoner swaps
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Codeword: February 17, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published