ATLANTA _ If Nick Saban was going to make history, winning his sixth national championship, it wasn't going to be easy.
The Alabama coach would need every trick in his bag, including a freshman quarterback and a 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime.
All of it added up to a 26-23 victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night.
Tua Tagovailoa, the young passer inserted into the lineup at the start of the second half, finished things with a strike to DeVonta Smith, another freshman.
"I took a shot downfield," Tagovailoa said. "And he caught it."
Saban now joins the legendary Bear Bryant as the only coaches to possess six championships.
"This is great win for our players and I've never been happier in my life," he said.
The game did not start out like a nail-biter.
After Alabama missed a field-goal attempt in the first quarter, Georgia slowly began to find an offensive rhythm, driving downfield twice, getting just far enough for kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to make a pair of field goals for a 6-0 lead.
At the same time, the Crimson Tide offense was struggling, looking uncharacteristically flustered.
When Georgia finally finished a drive, Mecole Hardman running for a 1-yard touchdown, the Bulldogs took a 13-0 into halftime and Alabama needed a change. A big one.
"We have to do something," Saban said at halftime. "We just can't move the ball effectively."
Things turned around in the second half with both teams trading punches like heavyweight boxers.
Tagovailoa guided the Crimson Tide to a touchdown. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm _ also a freshman _ answered with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Hardman.
But the Georgia offense would go dormant after that, allowing Alabama to chip away at the lead.
Kicker Andy Pappanastos rebounded for his earlier miss, making two field-goal attempts. Alabama drove downfield again with time running out in regulation and Tagovailoa passed to Calvin Ridley to tie the score at 20-20.
The Crimson Tide actually had a chance to win before overtime but Pappanastos hooked another attempt.
Georgia, which had prevailed in double overtime against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl last week, looked to have some overtime magic with Blankenship's 51-yard field goal. But the lead would be short-lived.
After taking a sack, Tagovailoa made good on Saban's decision to switch quarterbacks.
"Who would have ever thought I'd be here at this moment," the freshman said.
