DeVonta Smith: The 2nd-and-26 Dagger The most famous freshman-to-freshman connection in history. On January 8, 2018, the College Football Playoff National Championship was an absolute war. Alabama trailed Georgia 13–0 at halftime before Nick Saban made the ballsiest call of his career: benching Jalen Hurts for true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. After a furious comeback forced overtime, the situation looked dire. Georgia hit a field goal to go up 23–20, and on Bama's first play of OT, Tua took a disastrous 16-yard sack. Facing 2nd-and-26 from the 41-yard line, the season was on the brink. Tua dropped back, looked off the safety with ice in his veins, and launched a rainbow toward the left sideline. Another true freshman, DeVonta Smith, had blown past his defender. He caught the ball in stride and glided into the end zone, ending the game instantly. It wasn't just a touchdown; it was a "walk-off" that secured Alabama's 17th title and etched the phrase "2nd-and-26" into the permanent dictio...