Alabama Football: 30 Greatest Games in Crimson Tide History
By Ronald Evans
Alabama Football Greatest Game
December 29, 2018 – College Football Playoff Semi-Final vs. Oklahoma
There are two reasons for adding this game to the ‘Greatest 30′ list. One reason is the Crimson Tide defeated an exceptionally talented, Heisman-Trophy-winning quarterback in Kyler Murray. The other is to get another opportunity to deride the nonsense Lincoln Riley spouted after the game.
Murray was sensational. Statistically, in terms of passing, Tua Tagovailoa was even better. Murray threw the ball 37 times, completing 19, for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Tua threw 27 passes, completing 22, for 318 yards and four touchdowns.
In typical Oklahoma Sooners fashion, Riley’s team put up a bunch of points before facing the Crimson Tide. In eight wins and one loss going back to September, Riley’s offense averaged 51.8 points per game. The problem for the Sooners was allowing, in the same span, an average of 37.6 points per game.
The contest was decided in the first quarter when the Crimson Tide pushed out to a 21-0 lead. After the game, Nick Saban was not pleased his defense gave up 471 yards and 34 points. What he didn’t say, but had to have known, is the Tide offense could have added as many points as it wished against the Sooners leaky and penetrable defense.
The Sooners’ offense came alive in the second quarter, after gaining just 24 yards to the Tide’s 200 in the first quarter.
After the game, Lincoln Riley said,
"I felt like our team, until really the last run down there at the very end, (I) felt like we were going to win the football game, even despite going down 28-0."
Riley could be forgiven such unrealistic optimism, were it not for another post-game comment.
"they completely outplayed us early and then we completely outplayed them pretty much the rest of the way."
As every Alabama football fan knows Riley’s second comment was complete nonsense.