The Georgia Bulldogs were defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide 41-34 in a game that surely lived up to the expectations of “game of the year”.

It was evident from the beginning that Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had his players ready to go in front of a sold out Bryant-Denny Stadium. Led by quarterback Jalen Milroe, the Tide jumped out to a 28-0 lead before the college football world could even process what was going on. It wasn’t until the six-minute mark in the second quarter that the Bulldogs put points on the board from a Trevor Etienne rushing touchdown, making the score 30-7 at the half.

The troubles of the first half for the Bulldogs ultimately came down to miscues in the turnover battle. Quarterback Carson Beck threw two interceptions in Georgia territory and also accounted for a safety after being called for intentional grounding in the end zone to avoid being sacked. All of this combined for disaster for the Bulldogs heading into the locker room.

The Bulldogs slowly chipped away at the lead, and somehow found themselves with the lead after Beck found Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 1-point advantage with 2:31 remaining. The next two minutes and a half of play will sting Bulldawg Nation over the next few days. A 75-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to Ryan Williams and yet another Beck interception on a potential game-tying drive was enough to give Alabama the win.

Jalen Milroe did in fact prove to be the difference maker in the game’s outcome, rushing for 117 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 374 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ inability to take down the Tide’s signal caller allowed him to buy enough time to find holes in the Georgia secondary for key plays.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ impressive 42-game regular season win streak has officially come to a close following the loss to the Tide. With that being said, it is very evident that Smart’s Bulldogs are here to stay, and this loss is certainly not the ending of their College Football Playoff aspirations. To come from behind and almost pull of the most improbable comeback win in recent memory says a lot about what Georgia is made of, and there certainly remains plenty of national respect for this team.

Georgia will head back to Athens next weekend for a matchup with the Auburn Tigers (2-3, 0-2 SEC). Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. eastern time on ABC.