Tuesday’s Mashup: Georgia to face Alabama in college football national championship game

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Photo credit Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:NBA: Portland at Cleveland, 7 p.m. (NBATV)NBA: Memphis at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (NBATV)NHL: Boston at NY Islanders, 7 p.m. (NESN)NHL: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia , 7 p.m. (NBCSN)NHL: Los Angeles at Edmonton , 9:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

-- Georgia will face off with Alabama in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Georgia beat Oklahoma, and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, 54-48 in a wild double overtime Rose Bowl game on New Year’s Day. It was the first overtime game in the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff history.

Your 2018 #RoseBowl Champions: @FootballUGA!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/h0a2CO8gBs

— Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) January 2, 2018

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm finished 20-of-29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the exciting win. Mayfield praised the freshman quarterback after the game.

"Obviously I would have liked to have been on the other side of things, but I was taking in the last moments with my teammates and also trying to find Jake Fromm," Mayfield said. "You know, the true freshman that led his team to a playoff victory. You don't typically see that. He's an incredible player. "

“Our kids are so resilient,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the win. “They never stopped chopping wood. They kept fighting. They believed. There were offensive players affecting defensive players in the locker room at halftime and they kept fighting. We didn’t play the way we were capable of [playing>, but the best news is we get a chance to play again.”

The Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Clemson did not have as many twists and turns but Alabama was dominant in the 24-6 win.

Even though his team won, Alabama coach Nick Saban was angry on the sideline when his offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, called two passing plays inside Clemson territory with less than eight minutes left. Then his quarterback Jalen Hurts was forced to throw the ball away and ran toward the sideline and right into Saban, who fell to the ground.

I've waited nearly my entire adult life to see Nick Saban get dropped. Today was that day pic.twitter.com/gz6YvSTgYH

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) January 2, 2018

Saban got angry again when Daboll called an unsuccessful third down passing play.

Never satisfied. pic.twitter.com/zK0dcLsSL6

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) January 2, 2018

“I’m good. I’m really good,” Saban said when asked after the game if he is OK after the fall. “They don’t make ’em like they used to.”

He also praised his team after the win.

“I think what we wanted to do was re-establish our identity,” Saban continued. “I think we lost it in the last game of the season. The guys overcame that. They played really hard in the game and we were physical, so I’m really proud of our team and what we were able to do here today. We’ve got a lot of things we can get better at, but this is a great team win for us.”

The title game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 8.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I think it was a good match between the 49ers and myself and myself and the 49ers. I think it was kind of a perfect match and it just happened at the right time, and good things are coming from it.” -- Jimmy Garoppolo, on his trade to the 49ers from the Patriots