The Georgia Bulldogs became the first program to win back-to-back college football playoff national championships on Monday.
Georgia dominated TCU for a 65-7 victory, which marked the largest margin of victory in a bowl game.
Last season, the Bulldogs beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national championship game to capture the school’s first title in more than 40 years.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban was inside SoFi Stadium for Monday’s championship game and offered his take on a controversial hit on a star wide receiver during Georgia’s semifinal matchup.
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Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) of the Ohio State Buckeyes is helped off the field after being injured during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta. .
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
«Well, I think the play on Marvin Harrison Jr. was targeted as well,» Saban said on «College Gameday.»
Late in the third quarter of the Peach Bowl, Bulldogs defensive back Javon Bullard delivered a hard jab to Harrison. The referees initially flagged Bullard for aiming, but a referee in the booth later reversed the decision.
The hit took Harrison out of the game and he was unable to return due to a concussion. Ohio State was up 35-24 when he was injured and lost the game 42-41.
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Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game that the loss of Harrison had an impact on the outcome of the game.
«To say losing Marvin had an impact on the game, it absolutely did,» Day said, via ESPN.
Saban made a guest appearance on the ESPN broadcast during the pregame and halftime of the national championship game. During the broadcast, Saban said that he believed the guidance call should have stood.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) of the Ohio State Buckeyes tries to catch a pass during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta.
(Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Ohio State would have been granted an automatic first down if the call had not been aborted. Moving the ball forward and getting a new series of downs didn’t guarantee the Buckeyes would have scored a touchdown on the drive, but the call seemed to help shift the momentum.
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After the penalty flag was raised, Ohio State settled for a field goal and increased their lead to 38-24.
Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. celebrates his touchdown reception against Georgia during the first half of the Peach Bowl on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Social media went into a frenzy during the halftime show when ESPN college football analyst and former Bulldogs linebacker David Pollack declared Georgia football the best show in the nation.
«We love the Cinderella story, and we love it when this happens, but this isn’t really the end of Cinderella. Georgia, obviously, we’ve seen that in the last two seasons now, really, they’ve taken over college football.» Pollack said as Georgia led TCU 38-7 at the end of two quarters.
A stone-faced Saban, who was sitting right next to Pollack, stared at the former Georgia Bulldog for an extended period of time.
«Amazing job. This is a young soccer team,» added Pollack.
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Saban led the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 record this season, earning Alabama the #5 seed in the final College Football Playoff standings for the year. Alabama dominated Big 12 champion Kansas State 45-20 in the Sugar Bowl.