The Alabama Crimson Tide are not finished yet.
Thanks to their 27-24 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, the Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes are still alive and they have a wild fourth quarter finish to thank for it.
Let’s just start with the headline: Alabama converted a fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line that resulted in quarterback Jalen Milroe completing an improbable pass to Isaiah Bond in the corner of the end zone.
Have a look.
The fact that pass was completed in that situation is staggering, and is enough to make you wonder what Auburn’s defensive game plan was to not pressure Milroe. Or how a wide receiver could possibly have even an inch of room in the end zone in that situation.Â
Even more staggering is how Alabama ended up in that situation.
It took an unbelievable sequence of events.Â
With Alabama trailing, 24-20, and just under five minutes to play the Tide were forced to punt following a three-and-out. But Auburn muffed the punt, allowing Alabama to fall on it and get a new set of downs at the Tigers’ 19-yard line.
That was when things really started to get weird.
Alabama had to overcome a third-and-20 situation and managed to set itself up with a first-and-goal at the seven-yard line.
But on second-and-goal a bad snap that sailed by Milroe backed the Tide up to the 26-yard line for third-and-goal. It was at that point that Milroe was penalized for an illegal forward pass for crossing the line of scrimmage before attempting his pass.Â
That put Alabama in the fourth-and-goal situation from the 31-yard line that eventually turned into Bond’s touchdown.Â
That result leaves Alabama with just one loss on the season and puts it into a situation where if it beats Georgia in next week’s SEC Championship game it would put it right back into the discussion for a College Football Playoff spot.Â