AMERICUS — As the final buzzer sounded in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry and University of Georgia players began celebrating their second straight SEC Eastern Division Title, only one thing was on my mind. As a first-year sports editor, I knew that receiving press credentials to the SEC Title game was a very long shot. After all, the cheapest tickets in the stadium for the big game were all more than $300 because of the limited space in the Georgia Dome, and everybody who could apply for credentials to the game would be.

Knowing the odds were not in my favor, I decided to apply anyway, and less than one week later I received the biggest news of my young career when I found out that my request had been approved by the Southeastern Conference. I was going to the big dance.

In what many have called the biggest college football game of the year, the number two Alabama Crimson Tide met the number three Georgia Bulldogs for a battle in Atlanta with the winner taking on Notre Dame in the National Championship game in January. This game had all the makings of an instant classic and it provided just that, right down to the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

After covering a high school football game on Friday night, I left Americus at 4:50 a.m. on Saturday morning en route to Atlanta. After making a pit stop for coffee, I hit the interstate and made the long drive to the Georgia Dome.

At 7:30 a.m. I found myself circling the Georgia Dome looking for my parking lot and gazing at the thousands of Georgia and Alabama fans roaming the streets surrounding the venue. After finding my parking place I began my march to the Olympic Centennial Park to check out the ESPN College GameDay festivities.

After receiving my press credentials from ESPN I walked up to the media viewing stage and had a wonderful view of the live show. After taking some great pictures of Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Chris Fowler, Samantha Steele and University of Georgia great David Pollock I decided to leave and noticed a line forming at the College GameDay RV. Much to my surprise, Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly came strolling out of the RV and took his seat on the stage to the SEC-dominated crowd’s chants of “overrated!”

As I walked back through the Georgia World Congress Center to the Georgia Dome I was in shock of the amazing opportunity that I had just experienced. When I exited the GWCC, I traveled down to Gate E and picked up my media credentials for the big game.

While entering the Dome for the first time, I walked past a familiar face who I later found out was SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. I then took the media elevator to the press box for the first time and found my seat in the luxurious area. After enjoying an amazing media pre-game meal of roast beef, chicken pot pie and clam chowder I took the elevator back down to the field for the pre-game warm-ups.

As I walked out onto the field it was hard to believe that I was really walking onto the field where the National Championship contender would be decided in three short hours. As the Georgia team entered the field for the first time the crowd exploded and I took as many pictures as possible of many great players such as Jarvis Jones, Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley before rushing back to the press box for the kickoff.

The game atmosphere in the Georgia Dome was absolutely electric. In a back-and-fourth game, each team’s fans had plenty to cheer about. The hardest part of the game for me was not cheering whenever there was a big play on the field. At the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter I boarded the elevator for the final time to go back to the field for the end of what was already an amazing game.

As the Bulldogs got the ball back from Alabama on a punt with just over a minute left to play it appeared that the game was over. In a huge turn of events Georgia methodically marched down the field, and with eight seconds remaining in the game, Chris Conley hauled in a tipped pass and hit the turf at the Alabama four-yard line. As the final seconds ticked off the clock I experienced one team’s unbelievable excitement about the win, and one team’s heart-breaking exit following the incredibly difficult loss.

I then followed the rest of the photographers onto the field and took several pictures of Alabama greats like Jessie Williams and Eddie Lacy. At one point I turned to the side and legendary coach Nick Saban was looking right at me, less than three feet away. After fighting my way up to the stage and taking many more pictures of the MVP and SEC Championship Trophy presentations, I made my way to the parking lot, still in disbelief of what had just happened.

I will never forget the amazing opportunity that I had to experience one of the best college football games of all time. Two of the best teams in the nation went head-to-head for four quarters, and I was there to experience the whole thing. I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to attend such a historical game, and I will forever remember all of the unique experiences and new friendships that I made on December first in Atlanta, Georgia.



Scott Phillips is sports editor of the Americus Times-Recorder. Contact him at scott.phillips@gaflnews.com or 229-924-2751, ext. 1527.