Knees trembling slightly.
Browning took a deep breath and straightened his legs, clenching his fists to remind himself:
It's just an illusion. It's all in your head. They didn't need to fear the Crimson Tide—after all, their opponent was just a paper tiger putting on a show. They were ready to defeat them and had prepared for this moment.
They were ready.
However, the Crimson Tide had doubts: Really?
Sometimes, people think they are ready when they aren't. A false sense of security can cloud one's vision, obscuring the truth. And that's when a clear-headed outsider needs to step in to offer a reality check.
For instance, right now, the Crimson Tide was prepared to be that voice of reason.
1st and 10, Browning's face showed a flash of panic as he felt his knees tense up.
The Crimson Tide chose to blitz.
Just four rushers, with no numerical advantage, yet the intensity and aura were completely different. As soon as the ball snapped, Browning saw Allen's bloodshot eyes locked firmly on him like a shadow.
Browning didn't give up.
He darted left and right, trying to find an escape. Browning attempted to outrun the danger and pull off a miracle, still holding onto the hope of passing the ball. But just as he started moving, a wave of pressure crashed over him, nullifying all of his adjustments and movements.
Wham.
The world went dark—
Sacked!
Allen took Browning down with a clean, crisp blitz, shutting down all of Washington's offensive attempts. He ruthlessly pinned Browning to the ground, grinding him into the turf.
Browning's head spun.
There was no time to catch his breath amidst the relentless storm.
1st and 10 had become 2nd and 18, and the pressure doubled instantly.
To make matters worse, the play started at their own 25-yard line, but now they were pushed back to their 17-yard line, the red zone looming behind them. Their margin for error had shrunk dramatically, and the situation had turned dire.
The pressure was unimaginable.
In this moment, it wasn't just Washington's lack of explosive playmaking that was exposed; it was the Crimson Tide's defensive dominance that shone through, seizing control.
On 2nd and 18, Washington attempted to move the ball with a run, only to hit a brick wall, getting stopped at the line of scrimmage.
On 3rd and 18, Washington tried a trick play—faking a run but aiming to pass. They acted as if they had given up on gaining a first down, just looking for a better position to punt. But the Crimson Tide saw through it. Browning's pass to Ross was intercepted by Foster near the red zone, turning the ball over.
Disaster. Nightmare. Chaos.
Before Washington could even regain its footing, Alabama had pummeled them into disarray with a series of crushing blows, leaving them stumbling towards the abyss.
"Touchdown!"
"Wow, touchdown!"
"Washington's defense made a critical error. They were entirely focused on Lance and Howard's side, leaving a glaring mismatch on the right side. Alabama's receiver, Calvin Ridley, was completely uncovered, catching Hurts' six-yard pass and entering the end zone unchallenged."
"Washington is completely falling apart."
"At the start, Washington exuded confidence and aggression on both offense and defense, but they were unprepared for Alabama's counterattack."
"In just under five minutes, Washington has conceded two touchdowns in a row. The momentum has swung back to the defending champions, and the young Washington team is paying the price for their aggressive gamble."
"Things are going to get very tough from here."
From Lance's 75-yard touchdown run to Foster's interception near the red zone, followed by Hurts' play-action touchdown pass to Ridley, the Crimson Tide unleashed a mid-first-quarter surge—a series of thunderous blows that showcased their explosive power as reigning champions.
Washington was left dazed.
Browning, Jones, Baker—all of them had a hint of bewilderment in their eyes.
It wasn't that they lacked confidence—quite the opposite. They were brimming with it, believing wholeheartedly in their ability to beat Alabama. But that same confidence turned into confusion amidst the Crimson Tide's onslaught, leaving their minds spinning.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
So what was going on? Was this a nightmare? Were they just waiting for the nightmare to end so they could regain control and set things right?
But the key question was: How would they wake up from this nightmare?
That was the real challenge.
For Washington, the main struggle lay in their offense. The group that had garnered so much praise within the Pac-12 was being thoroughly dismantled by Alabama's defense, their run and pass attacks rendered completely ineffective.
Browning was in complete disarray. Even he couldn't figure out:
How did that first drive work?
If Washington's offense couldn't find a way, they would continue to face the relentless pressure of playing from behind. That, in turn, increased the burden on their defense, which couldn't afford to make mistakes without sinking further into trouble.
Complicating matters was Washington's strength in pass defense over run defense. They were now facing Alabama's multi-faceted ground attack, led by Lance, Jacobs, and Hurts, which was impossible to contain on all fronts.
Bit by bit, Washington found themselves caught in a vicious cycle.
Baker, as a safety, was powerless. Unlike Jamal Adams from LSU, he didn't have the freedom to shift positions or adjust defensive strategies, leaving him helpless in the secondary.
He couldn't hold them off. As much as he wanted to help his teammates, the defense was faltering. All Baker could do was watch as Washington's defensive front was eaten away and overrun.
All their hard work and effort seemed to amount to nothing. Even if they didn't want to admit it, it felt like they were just struggling in vain.
"28:7."
At halftime, the defending champions were comfortably in control.
Even so, Saban didn't rotate the lineup like he would in a regular-season game. After all, this was a bowl game, and the stakes were different. He kept the main roster in for the second half to maintain control.
However, Saban's strategy was more conservative, focusing on managing the clock and maintaining the lead. Little by little, they wore Washington down, like a frog slowly boiling in water.
Washington finally capitalized on a rare lapse in the fourth quarter, scoring another touchdown. But it was too late, and the game ended without suspense.
"37:14."
The game concluded with the defending champions cruising to victory over Washington, advancing to the national championship game for the second consecutive year—
Remaining undefeated in the season.
So, now the question was: Who would Alabama face in the final?
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Powerstones?
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