ATLANTA — Washington wanted to prove the world wℱrong and earn national respect in the College Football Playoff. Instead, Alabama earned the right to defend its national title.
Behind the dominant, old-school formula that brought so many titles to Tuscaloosa, Ala., the Crimson Tide’s smothering defense and powerful ground game led the nation’s top-ranked team to a 24-ౠ7 win over No. 4 Washington in Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal.
The Peach Bowl victory at a sold-out Georgia Dome extended Alabama’s (14-0) win streak to 26 games, setting up a matchup with No. 2 Clemson in the national title game Jan. 9 in Tamp꧅a, Fla. Ala꧃bama is seeking its second undefeated season and second set of back-to-back titles under Nick Saban.
Washington (12-2) entered averaging more than 44 points 🅰per game and was confident its balanced attack could crack Saban’s latest legendary defense, but Alabama backed up its top-ranked credentials, holding the nation’s fourth-highest-scoring offense without a point for the final 53 minutes.
“They kind of are what we thought they were,” Washington coach Chris Petersen said. “We’ve studied🍌 every snap that they’ve had this year, and the ꦿtape doesn’t lie. … That’s as good a defense as there is in college football, and they played like it.”
Though Alabama true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled nearly all game — completing 7-of-14 passes for 57 yards — running back Bo Sca🗹rbrough carried the offense to the cusp of an unprecedented fifth national championship in eight years.
Scarbrough, who entered as the team’s fourth-leading rusher this season, only had 14 c▨arries yet still set a school bowl record with 180ﷺ yards rushing, scoring two touchdowns.
Facing an early 7-0 deficit, Scarbrough tied the game after breaking four tackles on an 18-yard first-quarter touchdown. Then, with Alabama’s offense scoreless for more than two full quarters, Scarbrough clinched the win with a 68-yard run score early in the fourth quarter🐼.
“I tho𓂃ught he was a monster,” Alabam✱a linebacker Ryan Anderson said.
Despite the Huskies being physically overmatched and heavy underdogs i🦄n the school’s biggest game in a quarter century, quarterback Jake Browning provided brief hope with a 64-yard drive and the game’s first score — a 16-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis midway through the first quarter.
Washington added just 134 yards🅰 during the rest of a 🗹season-worst showing.
“We should have been able to do💛 it some more,” Pettis said. “We missed some opportunities.”
Against Alabama’s defense, no opportunities really❀ existed. Pressure was constant. Coverage was tight. Gaps closed in milliseconds. The Huskies rushed for 44 yards (1.5 yards per carry), while Browning, the PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year, threw for 150 yards, with two interceptions.
The Huskies’ steady defense keꦐpt it close until the fourth quarter and even provided chances to seize momentum against the 18-year-old Hurts — who nearly threw multiple interce♛ptions and fumbled in Alabama territory — but the nation’s regular-season leader in takeaways couldn’t come up with a turnover.
Of course, Alabama did. Of course, points fo🍌llowed.
After the Crimson Tide took a three-point lead to start the second quarter — foll♏owing a John Ross fumble — the first half w💎as coming to a close following a series of stalemates.
Unable to gene🌳rate any offense, the Crimson Tide converted their 12th defensive touchdown of the season, with linebacker Ryan Anderson returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown to put Alabama up 17-7 with 1:26 left in the first half.
“It totally changed the momentum of the game,” Browni𒐪ng said. “They’ve had some games where it’s been close, and then they’ll get a defensive touchdown and get rolling.”
And then it’s over.