Cnotes 2017 College Football Bowl Games Trends-Stats-Best Bets !

[CNOTES]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up


Bowl Season


Alabama (-4.5) vs Georgia, in Atlanta


Nick Saban is 11-0 vs his former assistant coaches, with all 11 wins by 14+ points; Alabama is in national title game for third year in row, splitting pair with Clemson last two years. Crimson Tide held 9 of 13 opponents to 10 or less points; they’re 2-1 vs spread in games with single digit spread. Alabama won its last three games with Georgia, beating Dawgs 38-10 in last meeting two years ago. Georgia scored 40.5 ppg in winning its last four games since their only loss, at Auburn- they won 20-19 at Notre Dame in their only game as an underdog this year. Dawgs are 4-1 vs spread this year in games with single digit spread. Six of last nine Georgia games went over total; six of last eight Alabama games stayed under.


2017-18 bowl results
Troy (-6.5) 50, North Texas 30
Georgia State (+6.5) 27, Western Kentucky 17
Boise State (+7) 38, Oregon 28
Marshall (+4) 31, Colorado State 28
Middle Tennessee State (+3) 35, Arkansas State 30
Florida Atlantic (-22) 50, Akron 3
Louisiana Tech (+5) 51, SMU 10
Temple (-7) 28, Florida International 3
Ohio U (-6.5) 41, UAB 6
Wyoming (-2.5) 37, Central Michigan 14
South Florida (-2) 38, Texas Tech 34
Army (+6.5) 42, San Diego Satte 35
Appalachian State (+6.5) 34, Toledo 0
Fresno State 33 (+3), Houston 27
Utah (-6.5) 30, West Virginia 14
Duke (-5.5) 36, Northern Illinois 14
Kansas State (-6.5) 35, UCLA 17
Florida State (-12) 42, Southern Mississippi 13
Iowa (-2.5) 27, Boston College 20
Purdue (+2.5) 38, Arizona 35
Texas (+3) 33, Missouri 16
Navy (-2.5) 49, Virginia 7
Oklahoma State (-6.5) 30, Virginia Tech 21
TCU (-3) 39, Stanford 37
Michigan State (-3) 42, Washington State 17
Wake Forest (-3.5) 55, Texas A&M 52
NC State (-4.5) 52, Arizona State 31
Northwestern (-8) 24, Kentucky 23
New Mexico State (+5.5) 26, Utah State 20
Ohio State (-10) 24, USC 7
Mississippi State (+7) 31, Louisville 27
Iowa State (+3.5) 21, Memphis 20
Penn State (-3) 35, Washington 28
Wisconsin (-6.5) 34, Miami 24
South Carolina (+9) 26, Michigan 19
Central Florida (+10.5) 34, Auburn 27
Notre Dame (+2) 21, LSU 17
Georgia (-2.5) 54, Oklahoma 48 OT
Alabama (-3.5) 24, Clemson 6


Favorites: 20-18 vs spread
totals: over 22-16

 

[CNOTES]

College Football National Championship biggest betting mismatches


Will experience be an advantage for Nick Saban, Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Alabama Crimson Tide when they face the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday in the national championship game?


The final game of the college football season happens on Monday night in Atlanta when the SEC champions Georgia Bulldogs take on the 4-point favored Alabama Crimson Tide.


We break it down to see where the weak spots are in each team’s game that could be exposed in the title game. Here are the biggest mismatches to consider in the game before placing your final wager.


Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts vs. an SEC defense


There’s no question the Crimson Tide were more conservative with their attack without Lane Kiffin looking after the offensive play calling. Alabama ran the ball 63.3 percent of the time under new OC Brian Daboll compared to 59 percent last year with Kiffin calling the shots.


Hurts cut his interceptions down drastically in his sophomore season, but not without a cost. He had 136 fewer pass attempts and 720 fewer passing yards in 2017 than in 2016. His numbers this year are pretty respectable but they were inflated a bit against the weaker sisters on Alabama schedule. He completed 70.2 percent of his passes against non-conference foes and just 56.8 percent against SEC opponents.


Georgia gave up the second fewest passing yards per game in the country and the fourth fewest passing first downs per game.


Alabama’s experience vs. Georgia’s greenness


The Crimson Tide are making their third straight trip to the national title game whereas Georgia entered this season off an 8-5 campaign in 2016. Alabama returns 11 starters from last year’s squad that lost to Clemson in the national championship game – including its quarterback and top receiver and leading rusher from a year ago.


Georgia will send out a freshman quarterback who had originally committed to Alabama before changing his mind and deciding on the Bulldogs instead.


Nick Saban vs. Kirby Smart


It’s been talked about at great length in the build up to this game but it requires an additional reminder: Nick Saban crushes his former assistant coaches. Just like former New England Patriots assistants struggle against Bill Belichick, Saban schools his former protégés.


Saban is 11-0 straight up and 9-2 against the spread with an average point differential of 28.7 in games against his former assistants. Kirby Smart was Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2008 to 2015 before becoming Georgia’s head coach in 2016.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF

Monday, January 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
College Football Playoff National Championship betting preview and odds: Alabama vs Georgia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Alabama Crimson Tide vs Georgia Bulldogs (+4, 45)


Game to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia


An SEC team will claim the national title for the ninth time in the past 12 seasons as conference mates Georgia and Alabama meet in Monday's College Football Playoff championship at Atlanta. The third-seeded Bulldogs are looking to win their first national title since the Herschel Walker-led squad won the 1980 crown, while the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide are striving for their fifth during Nick Saban's 11-season tenure. Alabama easily dispatched top-seeded Clemson 24-6 in the semifinals while Georgia outlasted second-seeded Oklahoma 54-48 in double overtime.


Georgia coach Kirby Smart is a former Alabama defensive coordinator under Saban but is adamant that doesn't give him crucial insights to the methods of the Crimson Tide. "There's not a lot of tendencies that he has that are just going to be ground-breaking to allow us a benefit," Smart said during a press conference. "The bottom line is our players got to go out and we've got to play a really good football game to stay with these guys." Saban also downplayed the situation, saying "I don't think the game is about the coaches. I think it's about the players."


Alabama leads the nation in rushing defense at 91.8 yards per game and will receive a big test from the Georgia senior duo of Nick Chubb (1,320 yards) and Sony Michel (1,129). The Crimson Tide limited Clemson to 64 yards on 33 attempts while the Bulldogs rolled up 317 and five rushing scores against Oklahoma. Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm could be the wild-card factor if he starts the game off strong and makes Alabama respect the passing game.

TV: 8:17 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: The Bulldogs opened as 4.5-point dogs and money coming in on the SEC champs has seen that line drop a full point to +3.5 at some books. The total hit the betting board at 47 and that has been bet down to 45.

INJURY REPORT:


Alabama - DB Minkah Fitzpatrick (Probable, Kidney), RB Joshua Jacobs (Questionable, Hamstring), OL Brandon Kennedy (Questionable, Ankle), DL Labryan Ray (Questionable, Foot), DB Nigel Knott (Questionable, Undisclosed), DB Hootie Jones (Questionable, Knee), OL Lester Cotton Sr. (Out, Knee), LB Anfernee Jennings (Out, Knee), LB Dylan Moses (Out Indefinitely, Foot), LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Out For Season, Knee).


Georgia - LB Natrez Patrick (Questionable, Personal), DB Deangelo Gibbs (Questionable, Undisclosed), DB Latavious Brini (Questionable, Disciplinary), TE Charlie Woerner (Doubtful, Ankle).

WEATHER REPORT: Dome

ABOUT ALABAMA (12-1 SU, 6-7 ATS, 5-8 O/U): The Crimson Tide have been hit hard with linebacker injuries all season and they lost sophomore Anfernee Jennings (knee) against Clemson and he underwent surgery. Alabama will do some further linebacker reshuffling with senior Shaun Dion Hamilton (knee) and freshman Dylan Moses (foot) done for the season but the unit still resolves around junior strong safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (nine career interceptions, four returned for touchdowns). Sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts (808 rushing yards, 2,060 passing yards) is more feared as a runner but has 17 touchdown passes against just once interception as well as a star target in junior Calvin Ridley (59 receptions, 935 yards).

ABOUT GEORGIA (13-1 SU, 10-4 ATS, 6-8 O/U): Michel, who averages eight yards per carry, galloped for a 27-yard, game-winning score against Oklahoma for his 16th rushing touchdown of the season, while Chubb has 15 rushing scores and a 6.4 yard average. Fromm has passed for 2,383 yards and 23 touchdowns against only five interceptions while piloting an offense that averages 36.3 points per game. Junior inside linebacker Roquan Smith, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Bulldogs with 124 tackles and 5.5 sacks (the latter tied for team-leading honors with junior outside linebacker D'Andre Walker), while senior strong safety Dominick Sanders has a team-best four interceptions.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the chalk Crimson Tide at a rate of 51 percent and the Over is getting 65 percent of the totals action.

 

[CNOTES]

Six alternative ways to wager - and win - on the CFP National Championship
Jason Logan


Since the long-overdue creation of the College Football Playoff three years ago, sportsbooks have seen a major uptick in the amount of betting action on the National Championship Game.


The fact that there’s a lead-up to the title game, with the teams having to win out in a New Year’s Day semifinal, and with the championship given a week to breathe away from the other big-name bowl games, football bettors have flocked to the window to bet the biggest NCAAF game of the year.


And sportsbooks online and in Nevada, like any smart business, have met that growing demand with a slew of different ways to wager on the CFP Championship Game. Here is but a taste of the CFP Championship prop action and the best way to wager on these alternative odds:


First team to score: Alabama -140 / Georgia +EVEN


A quick run through of these teams’ season histories, and you see that Alabama has scored first in 10 of its 13 games while Georgia has struck first blood in nine of its 13 outings, but has played from behind in its last two contests – the SEC Championship versus Auburn and the Rose Bowl versus Oklahoma.


Perhaps the big question behind this prop should be which team will receive the football first. The Bulldogs started with the football first in the Rose Bowl and Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has leaned toward deferring receiving until the second half the past couple seasons, putting confidence in his top-ranked defense to get the ball back and give Alabama better field position.


The Tide started with the football in both of the last two CFP Championship Games versus Clemson, however, the Tigers won both coin tosses and deferred to receive in the second half.


At EVEN money, UGA is worth a wager to score first Monday night.


Highest-scoring quarter: First +280 / Second +175 / Third +350 / Fourth +260


If you want to do the math behind this one, you can break down both Alabama and Georgia by their quarter-by-quarter performances this season.


The Crimson Tide had little trouble finding the end zone regardless of which quarter was on the scoreboard, but they did peak in the first quarter, averaging 10.9 points in the opening 15 minutes. Behind that pace, Alabama put up 10.7 points per third quarter, 8.7 points in the second, and just 6.2 in the final frame.


The Bulldogs did most of their damage right after half, averaging 10.2 points per third quarter, ahead of 9.2 in the second, 8.5 in the first, and 7.2 in the fourth quarter. And if you remember the Rose Bowl – and how could you forget it – UGA really got rolling in the third quarter, putting up 14 points and tying the game 31-31.


Defensively, neither SEC school budged much all season, but Alabama has soften up a bit in second halves, giving up an average of 3.7 points in the third and fourth quarter this year. Georgia, on the other hand, only 2.1 third-quarter points against but 4.5 points in the closing frame.


With all that said, the value is there with the third quarter at +350.


First player to score a touchdown


Running backs Damien Harris and Nick Chubb headline these two potent ground games and are the front runners to score the first touchdown of the game at +600. Behind them could be some serious value with this prop, with fellow RBs Bo Scarbrough and Sony Michel priced at +800 as well as mobile Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts at +800.


Since the Tide are -140 favorites to score first, you may want to focus on Alabama players for this particular prop. Digging into the Tide’s scoring history, Hurts has run one in for the first score three times this season as did Scarbrough, who also opened scoring with a touchdown in last year’s title game.


Both of those options at 8/1 are great, but if you’re looking for a big score from this prop, check out tight end Irv Smith Jr. at +3,300. He’s scored the first touchdown in two of Alabama’s games and has reeled in 14 catches – third most on the team – and has three TDs overall.


Jalen Hurts total rushing yards: Over 51.5 (-110) / Under 51.5 (-110)


Hurts’ passing production has gradually slipped as the season wound down, going from throwing for throwing for more than 200 yards per game between Week 8 and Week 12, to putting up just 112 yards through the air versus Auburn and 120 passing yards against Clemson.


Hurts sometimes finds himself as the third-string running back by default and with the Bulldogs not allowing much through the air and pressing quarterbacks for 31 sacks and 60 QB hurries, Bama’s QB could take to the ground as the pocket collapses.


Hurts, who averages 62.15 rushing yards per game, ran for 80 yards in the loss to Auburn and 63 yards in the loss to Clemson in the title game last year. He’ll try to get gains any way he can against this UGA stop unit, and that means plenty of thinking on his feet. Go Over 51.5 rushing yards.


Total receiving yards Javon Wims: Over 54.5 (EVEN) / Under 54.5 (-120)


Wims is coming off a big game in the Rose Bowl, reeling in six balls for 73 yards, and he’s been a bigger part of the Bulldogs attack in the previous four games, totaling 329 yards on 20 receptions.


Now, some of that added production is because UGA fell behind against Oklahoma and Auburn, prompting more passing plays from the Bulldogs, who averaged just under 20 attempts per game from QB Jake Fromm. He tossed 29 passes versus the Sooners and 22 against the Tigers after throwing just a combined 30 times over the previous two games. But with a spread this tight, it may be tough for any team to put space on the scoreboard and force the other to go all-out pass.


Wims averaged 54.1 yards on 3.38 receptions per game – 16 yards per reception - but takes on an Alabama defense that allowed only 5.3 yards per attempt – lowest in the entire country – and gave up only 10 passes for 30 yards and just one for 40 all season. This secondary locked down Clemson standout WR Deon Cain to 75 yards on six catches in the Sugar Bowl and has many options to throw at Wims Monday. Take the Under 54.5.


Live betting


Let’s not pass up the best alternative way to wager on any sporting event – especially ones as big as the National Championship. Strange things can happen in these big-name games – just look at last year’s CFP Championship.


Clemson trailed Alabama 14-0 at 10:42 in the second quarter and that live line would have soared to Tigers +20.5 with the moneyline on Clemson paying out close to 5/1, depending on your sportsbook. Of course, Clemson would storm back and win the title game outright.


We saw another good example of a drastic swing in momentum in the Rose Bowl, with Georgia falling behind 21-7 to Oklahoma in the second quarter. The Bulldogs were available at +11.5 on the in-game spread, and battled back to knock off the Sooners and advance to the CFP Championship.


Look for those anomalies in the action, be it a good team going down early or a high-scoring opening half between two defense-first programs. These weird results usually do correct themselves and offer up great value for fans of live betting.

 

[CNOTES]

College Playoff - Action Report
January 7, 2018


About 24 hours before kickoff, Las Vegas sports books were split on Monday night’s College Football Playoff Championship Game, with Alabama -3.5 available for favorite bettors and Georgia +4 there for the taking, too.


While it’s always hard to predict how a line will move, the betting market may have found its sweet spot for this season’s title game. The 4.5s that have appeared on betting boards over the last week haven’t lasted long, and it’s hard to envision the number on Alabama waning to as cheap as -3.


“I don’t think it’s going to go below 3.5,” John Avello, sports book director at the Wynn, said Sunday afternoon.


The Wynn’s opening price of Alabama -4 drew “a couple of six-figure bets” on the underdog Georgia that pushed the line to -3.5, Avello added, and that’s the number the shop’s been dealing since.


At the South Point, sharp bettors liked the opening price on the dog, taking Georgia +4.5, but when the point spread was bet down to Alabama -3.5, wiseguys were happy to lay the shorter price. Save a momentary blip to 4.5 on Sunday night, the South Point seems to have settled at Alabama -4.


“We definitely had sharp money taking the 4.5, and I’d say it was pretty sharp money laying back the 3.5, too,” said Chris Andrews, book director at the South Point. “You know the way it is – guys are playing numbers, and they saw both those as advantageous.”


As for public bettors, there are different stories coming from the South Point and the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.


While Alabama has been a public team ever since Nick Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa began in 2007, “there’s no shortage of Georgia money and opinions on Georgia winning this game,” Andrews said. “We’ve taken plenty of Georgia money, too, from everybody – from wiseguys and the public – so I’m not sure we’re going to move (the line) at all.”


But Westgate manager Ed Salmons said his shop is so weighted on the favorite that the joke around the book has been, “’Who is Alabama playing tomorrow?,’ because all we see on the ticker is Alabama, Alabama, Alabama, Alabama – it’s like nine out of 10 tickets are on Alabama. It’s just amazing. And it’s all public money. ... It’s weird because they loved Clemson against Alabama, and now they love Alabama against Georgia.”


After opening Alabama -4, the Westgate took a “decent size wager” on the favorite from a house customer and moved to -4.5. From there, the book has bounced between 3.5 and 4.


Salmons is happy to need Georgia on Monday.


“I definitely lean to the dog in this game,” he said.


The vast majority of bets, of course, has yet to show up, and while some college football observers sense a lack of buzz for a national title game featuring two teams from the SEC, books anticipate a heavily-bet game. Should handle be off, it will probably have more to do with bettors’ bankrolls being light after all four underdogs covered during the NFL’s wild-card weekend than any provincial leanings, Andrews agreed.


Another positive domino for the books of the NFL underdog sweep: Less liability heading into Monday night.


“All the parlays through the weekend lead to this game,” Salmons said, “and with all the 'dogs covering in the NFL, it definitely took away a lot of the liability sometimes we face in these games.”

 

[CNOTES]

College Playoff Props
January 7, 2018


The 2017-18 college football season comes to a close Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Atlanta, Georgia.


This year's title game features Alabama meeting Georgia in an all-SEC matchup.


Listed below are Game and Player props for the College Football Playoff championship game.


3 Straight Scores by Either Team
Yes -165
No +145


Defense/Specials Teams Score TD in Game
Yes +160
No -185


Double Result (1st Half Result- Game Outcome)
Alabama - Alabama +100
Aabama - Georgia +600
Draw - Alabama +1600
Draw - Georgia +2000
Georgia - Alabama +550
Georgia - Georgia +250


First Score of the Game
Touchdown -220
Field Goal or Safety +180


Highest Scoring Half
1st Half -125
2nd Half + OT +105


Last Team to Score
Alabama -125
Georgia +105


Margin of Victory
Alabama by 1 to 6 Pts +325
Alabama by 7 to 12 Pts +400
Alabama by 13 to 18 Pts +700
Alabama by 19 to 24 Pts +1200
Alabama by 25 to 30 Pts +2000
Alabama by 31 to 36 Pts +3300
Alabama by 37 to 42 Pts +5000
Alabama by 43 Pts or More +8000


Georgia by 1 to 6 Pts +350
Georgia by 7 to 12 Pts +450
Georgia by 13 to 18 Pts +900
Georgia by 19 to 24 Pts +2000
Georgia by 25 to 30 Pts +4000
Georgia by 31 to 36 Pts +6600
Georgia by 37 to 42 Pts +10000
Georgia by 43 Pts or More +12500


Overtime
Yes +700
No -1000


Team to Score First
Alabama -140
Georgia +120


Time of First Score
Over 6½ Minutes -130
Under 6½ Minutes +110


Will There be a TD of 43 Yards or Longer?
Yes -105
No -115


Player Props - per BetOnline.ag


Player to Score 1st Touchdown
Damien Harris (Alabama) +600
Bo Scarbrough (Alabama) +800
Najee Harris (Alabama) +3300
Josh Jacobs (Alabama) +2500
Calvin Ridley (Alabama) +1000
Jerry Jeudy (Alabama) +2000
Henry Ruggs III (Alabama) +1600
Cam Sims (Alabama) +2000
Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) +3300
Jalen Hurts (Alabama) +800
Nick Chubb (Georgia) +600
Sony Michel (Georgia) +800
DAndre Swift (Georgia) +2500
Elijah Holyfield (Georgia) +3300
Brian Herrien (Georgia) +5000
Javon Wims (Georgia) +1200
Terry Godwin (Georgia) +1600
Mecole Hardman (Georgia) +2000
Isaac Nauta (Georgia) +3300
Jake Fromm (Georgia) +3300
Alabama Defense/Special Teams +1600
Georgia Defense/Special Teams +2000
No Touchdown Scored +5000


Total Passing yards by Jake Fromm (Georgia)
Over 184½ Passing Yards +100
Under 184½ Passing Yards -120


Total Passing yards by Jalen Hurts (Alabama)
Over 174½ Passing Yards +115
Under 174½ Passing Yards -135


Total Receiving yards by Calvin Ridley (Alabama)
Over 67½ Receiving Yards -110
Under 67½ Receiving Yards -110


Total Receiving yards by Cam Sims (Alabama)
Over 17½ Receiving Yards -110
Under 17½ Receiving Yards -110


Total Receiving yards by Henry Ruggs III (Alabama)
Over 24½ Receiving Yards -110
Under 24½ Receiving Yards -110


Total Receiving yards by Javon Wims (Georgia)
Over 54½ Receiving Yards +100
Under 54½ Receiving Yards -120


Total Receiving yards by Jerry Jeudy (Alabama)
Over 27½ Receiving Yards +145
Under 27½ Receiving Yards -165


Total Receiving yards by Mecole Hardman (Georgia)
Over 27½ Receiving Yards -110
Under 27½ Receiving Yards -110


Total Receiving yards by Terry Godwin (Georgia)
Over 42½ Receiving Yards -110
Under 42½ Receiving Yards -110


Total Receptions by Calvin Ridley (Alabama)
Over 4½ Receptions -120
Under 4½ Receptions +100


Total Receptions by Javon Wims (Georgia)
Over 4½ Receptions +160
Under 4½ Receptions -185


Total Rush+Receiving Yards by Bo Scarbrough (Alabama)
Over 52½ Rush+Receiving Yards -110
Under 52½ Rush+Receiving Yards -110


Total Rushing yards by Damien Harris (Alabama)
Over 62½ Rushing Yards -120
Under 62½ Rushing Yards +100


Total Rushing Yards by Jake Fromm (Georgia)
Over 12½ Rushing Yards -110
Under 12½ Rushing Yards -110


Total Rushing Yards by Jalen Hurts (Alabama)
Over 50½ Rushing Yards -105
Under 50½ Rushing Yards -115


Total Rushing yards by Nick Chubb (Georgia)
Over 78½ Rushing Yards +105
Under 78½ Rushing Yards -125


Total Rushing Yards by Sony Michel (Georgia)
Over 67½ Rushing Yards +105
Under 67½ Rushing Yards -125


Odds Subject to Change

 

[CNOTES]

MONDAY, JANUARY 8
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ALA at UGA 08:00 PM


UGA +3.5


U 46.0

 

[CNOTES]

Alabama turns to freshman QB Tagovailoa in championship game
January 8, 2018


ATLANTA (AP) Alabama turned to freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and staged a dramatic national comeback in the College Football Playoff championship game.


Tagovailoa delivered in Monday night's 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia. He completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith to give the Crimson Tide another national title.


Tagovailoa replaced a struggling Jalen Hurts coming out of the locker room in the second half with the Crimson Tide trailing Georgia 13-0. Hurts had gone just 3-of-8 passing for 21 yards in the first half while running for 47 yards, and Alabama's offense looked completely stagnant.


Tagovailoa, a five-star recruit from Hawaii, completed 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 27 yards. He had played in eight games this season.


Most of his action came in mop up duties, and Alabama went three-and-out on his first drive.


The lefty was far more successful on drive No. 2. Tagovailoa passed and ran the Tide to its first score of the game, a 6-yard touchdown to freshman Henry Ruggs III.


He converted a third-and-7 play with a nifty run. He ran right and, with three Georgia defenders around him, reversed field and scampered for a first down on the TD drive.


On his third drive, Tagovailoa's up and down start continued. He threw an interception in Alabama territory when all the receivers on that side of the field were blocking.


Then a quick Alabama interception set him up in Georgia territory but the Tide settled for a field goal after three straight incompletions.


Coming into the game, Tagovailoa had completed 35 of 53 passes for 470 yards with eight touchdowns against one interception.


Hurts was the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year as a freshman last season and has thrown only one interception all season. But he struggled in a loss to Auburn in the regular season and played better in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson but still passed for just 120 yards.