National Championship 2022: With major injuries derailing hopes for a repeat championship, Alabama was left wondering, “What if?”
Alabama’s hopes of winning the title were severely damaged by injuries to their wide receiver and cornerback positions.
Third No. On Monday, the Bulldogs defeated No. 1 Alabama 33–18 to win the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, rejecting the Tide’s attempt to win the title again. Even though the Crimson Tide team ends the season with a 13-2 record, there will always be a “what if” factor attached to the memory of a defeat that kept head coach Nick Saban from winning his seventh national championship with the team.
What if John Metchie III, the leading receiver for Alabama, hadn’t suffered a knee injury during the SEC Championship Game victory over Georgia on December 4 and missed the playoffs? And what if, in the second quarter of Monday’s championship game, Jameson Williams—the team’s leader in receiving yards and touchdowns—didn’t suffer a knee injury that ended his night?
Due to injuries to cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis, as well as the loss of their top two receiving targets, the Crimson Tide did not have their typical perimeter athletic dominance against a Georgia team that has recruited similarly well.
“It’s a result of all the injuries we sustained,” Saban said to ESPN’s Holly Rowe following the contest. “… Many important members of our team missed this game, including several of our players.
56.3% of Alabama’s receiving yards came from Metchie and Williams going into the game. After Williams left the game in the second quarter, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young had to work with perimeter targets who were largely untested.
After starting the season with just nine receptions, freshman receiver Ja’Corey Brooks stepped up with six receptions for 47 yards. However, the Crimson Tide became unduly dependent on the pass, as they frequently did in the 2021 season, which allowed the Georgia defense to set up blitzes that disrupted Young’s flow. On Monday, Young was taken down three times behind the line of scrimmage, in contrast to the SEC Championship Game where he was not dismissed. Because of this, he was a reluctant runner and ended up with -43 net yards in the middle of the sacks.
Without Jobe and Armour-Davis, the Crimson Tide’s defense gave up multiple explosive plays in the passing game. Armour-Davis missed most of the season due to a hip injury, while Jobe was sidelined with a toe injury despite starting the entire season at corner. Although the Bulldogs have experienced some receiver injuries this season, they were in better health at the position on Monday night than they had been in the entire campaign. This was evident on the stat sheet as quarterback Stetson Bennett IV exploited Alabama’s thin secondary, completing 17 passes to nine different receivers, including a 52-yard bomb to George Pickens.
But Saban expressed his immense pride in this team. “This team defeated Georgia to win the SEC championship. They obviously defeated us today. We had such a fantastic season and accomplished so much together as a team, so it really bothered me that we didn’t perform better in the fourth quarter. Although I know they’re disappointed, it’s disappointing, I’m incredibly proud of this group. To get here now, they had to overcome a lot. We simply failed to complete the fourth quarter.”
But Saban expressed his immense pride in this team. “This team defeated Georgia to win the SEC championship. They obviously defeated us today. We had such a fantastic season and accomplished so much together as a team, so it really bothered me that we didn’t perform better in the fourth quarter. Although I know they’re disappointed, it’s disappointing, I’m incredibly proud of this group. To get here now, they had to overcome a lot. We simply failed to complete the fourth quarter.”
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