3. Oklahoma vs. Georgia, Jan. 1, 2018
Lincoln Riley led the 2017 Oklahoma team to a 12-1 regular-season record and a third straight Big 12 championship in his first season as the Sooners’ head coach. The Sooners’ only regular-season loss was at home to an unranked Iowa State team and only the sixth time in 83 games OU had lost to the Cyclones.
The Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, were awarded the No. 2 seed in that season’s College Football Playoff, where they were paired against the No. 3 seed, the Georgia Bulldogs, champions of the Southeastern Conference.
Oklahoma came into its College Football Playoff national semifinal game with the nation’s No. 1 offense, averaging almost 600 yards per game and the third best scoring offense (45.1). Georgia’s offense was good, but not nearly as prolific as the Sooners, but defense was another story. Georgia ranked sixth nationally in both total defense and scoring defense, allowing just 294 yards of offense and 18 points per game.
The Sooners jumped out in front early and led 21-7 in the second quarter on a pair of touchdown runs by Rodney Anderson, including one for 41 yards. OU extended its lead to 31-17 at halftime, capping the first-half scoring on a trick-play touchdown pass to Mayfield by wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The Georgia running game, behind bruiser Nick Chubb and speedster Sony Michel (both currently in the NFL), took over the game in the second half. Chubb scored on a 50-yard touchdown run, and Michel added a 38-yard run to the end zone as the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered second-half points to pull in front 38-31 just over a minute into the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma scored twice, once on an 11-yard pass to Dimitri Flowers and then in a 46-yard fumble recovery by Steven Parker to regain the lead at 45-38 a little more than midway through the fourth quarter, but Georgia scored with just under a minute to go in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Both teams settled for field goals in the first overtime session, but in the second overtime Austin Seibert’s 27-yard field goal try was blocked. Georgia needed just two plays after that to seal the win on a 27-yard touchdown run by Michel.
The Sooners have lost in their first game in the College Football Playoff in all four appearances. This game was the closest they’ve come since the 2008 season to playing for an eighth national championship.
Georgia lost to Alabama and QB Tua Tagovailoa in overtime in the national championship game that season after leading the Crimson Tide for much of the game.
Would Oklahoma have done any better? We’ll never know, but it would have been fun to find out.