When it comes to the post season of college football, the conference championships and major bowl games are usually highlighted by veteran leaders who have led their units for multiple years and have experienced all the peaks and valleys of college football throughout their entire career.  But in the 2018 College Football Playoff, a totally different story was written by two young quarterbacks.

Jake Fromm, a true freshman from Houston County, Georgia, took over the reigns for Georgia when starting quarterback Jacob Eason went down due to injury early in the season.  Fromm led the Bulldogs to a breakthrough 12-1 record, defeating the Auburn Tigers in the Southeastern Conference Championship game.  The 6’2″ freshman phenom broke Georgia state-records in high school for career passing yards, and threw for 2,615 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Dawgs’ quarterback.  He is often praised by commentators and analysts for his uncanny ability to read defenses and make checks at the line of scrimmage, making sure his offense is all on the same page and ready to attack whatever defense they faced.  Georgia’s great regular season performance and their title as the SEC champs earned them a spot in the Rose Bowl game and the College Football Playoff.  Facing the Oklahoma Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, Fromm led the Bulldogs with a steady performance in a western-style shootout.  Completing 69% of his passes, “Jake from State Fromm” threw for 210 yards and two scores, and the Bulldogs advanced to the championship with a win over the Sooners, 54-48 in double overtime.

Last season, the Alabama Crimson Tide was led by a true freshman quarterback named Jalen Hurts.  The Tide suffered a devastating loss in the National Championship game as Clemson legend Deshaun Watson threw the game-winning touchdown pass to cap off a historic performance.  Hurts returned this year as the starter and led the Tide all the way back to the biggest stage in collegiate sports.  Bama defeated Clemson in a rematch with the Tigers at the Sugar Bowl, booking them a trip to Atlanta to reclaim their throne as college football’s best team.  Hurts, a two-year starter with a 25-2 record, struggled in the first half against a stout Georgia defense.  This led to a game-changing decision that would turn the game around in a whirlwind.

The Crimson Tide decided to bench the veteran, Hurts, and start another true freshman by the name of Tua Tagovailoa for the second half.  The original plan was to rotate the two quarterbacks to keep the Bulldogs honest, but Tagovailoa provided an instant, much needed spark for the Crimson Tide offense.  Head coach Nick Saban said after the game that decided to go with the younger Tagovailoa because of his ability to throw the football, and that Tua is a better passer than Jalen Hurts.  And gee, did the decision pay off.  The lefty torched the Georgia defense in the second half, throwing for 166 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Tide back to tie up the score at 20-20, forcing overtime.  The physical ‘Bama defense held up against Jake Fromm and the Georgia Offense, forcing a field goal to give the ‘Dawgs the lead, 23-20.  Suddenly, the pressure was on the young lefty from Hawaii.  On first down, Alabama suffered a devastating sack, losing 16 yards and putting them out of field goal range.  Now facing an ominous 2nd and 26, the Tide needed to make up for some lost territory, and fast.  Alabama offensive coordinator Brain Daboll called a four vertical passing concept, with four receivers running streaks, and three of the four receivers on the right side of the formation, known as “trips.”  The Georgia defense was in a “cover two” defense, meaning they had two safeties back deep in zone coverage, splitting the field into two halves, and five underneath defenders also playing zone coverage.  Tagovailoa recognized it instantly.  With the ball on the left hash, he received the snap and looked off the boundary safety, using his eyes to move him to the middle of the field as if he were going to throw it to the three receiver side.  When he got the veteran Georgia safety to bite, he snapped his shoulders back to the boundary, where fellow true freshman Devonta Smith was streaking down the sideline behind the defense.

Touchdown ‘Bama.  National champs, once again.

The young Hawaiian native did nothing else but praise God and his team for the opportunity and the success he had.  On or off the field, out in the spotlight or laying low in class, he is a true class act.  Head coach Nick Saban made complimented Tua’s manners in a press conference after the game, saying that his politeness is starting to rub off on him.  Although Tagovailoa was the number one quarterback prospect in his recruiting class and Elite 11 MVP at Nike’s “The Opening,” the lefty entered college without a lot of hype like other big time recruits.  But now, the young Samoan phenom is in the spotlight of college football, and the talk of “Tuascaloosa.”