It’s official – the Georgia Bulldogs are the 2021 college football national champions, following their 33-18 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday, December 10.
This win is extra sweet for live mascot Uga IX the Bulldog, as Alabama’s juggernaut flattened the Dawgs 41-24 a month ago in the SEC Championship.
They finished the 2021 college football with a 14-1 record, going 8-0 in regular season Southeastern Conference play.
According to ESPN, this is the Bulldogs’ first football national championship since 1980, which was a very, very different game (and world) from the current one being played, and it’s the most wins in program history.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the 2021 college football national champions.
The quest for who would reign as the 2021 college football national champions began on a less-than-stellar note for the offenses, as the scoreboard recorded only field goals as the Crimson Tide led 9-6 at halftime.
Georgia got the lead late in the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown from Zamir White, and though Bama answered with several scores to take an 18-13 edge, the final moments were all Georgia red, with back-to-back touchdown passes from Stetson Bennett to Adonai Mitchell and Brock Bowers.
UGA cornerback Kelee Ringo intercepted a throw from 2021 Heisman Trophy-winning Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with less than a minute to go in the game and returned it all the way to the end zone, putting the final nail in the coffin.
While one of the huge favorites to make the College Football Playoff early in the year, the team’s original starting quarterback JT Daniels was benched due to injuries and less-than-stellar play, as backup Bennett stepped in and led them through the rest of the season.
This is the first time since 1991 that a school using a canine mascot has been the Division I college football national champions, as the Pac-10’s Washington Huskies were generally considered co-champions with the Big East’s Miami Hurricanes.
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