So close to the prize, Bulldogs left stunned

ATLANTA – Georgia had no reason to fear overtime with the national championship on the line.

Last week's double-OT victory over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl should have been the perfect setup for the Bulldogs. Players had every reason to feel emboldened by their chances when facing overtime in Monday night's championship game against Alabama.

That's what made the 26-23 loss to the Crimson Tide even more crushing. Georgia's wait for its first national championship since 1980 continues.

"Guys fought so hard all season long," cornerback Aaron Davis said. "We really wanted this one bad and just came up one play short. … When it came down to that one play, I just hated to see it end like that."

After a 51-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship gave Georgia the lead, Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa was sacked by Davin Bellamy and Jonathan Ledbetter for a loss of 16 yards.

Georgia's confidence soared even higher.

"There was no doubt in our mind that we were going to go out there and win that game," running back Sony Michel said.

"I rerouted my guy and I just turned and looked and saw [Smith] catch the ball," Davis said. "I don't know what happened over there. I just looked up and saw him wide open like that. It was a communication issue, something we can't have."

The game drew 28.443 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched title game in the four-year-old format of the College Football Playoff.

Viewership for the all-SEC matchup was up 13 percent from last season's Clemson-Alabama rematch from the season before.