This time the Crimson Tide had to overcome a loss in the final regular-season game, a series of defensive injuries and a period of uncertainty when it wasn’t clear if a fourth consecutive playoff invitation even was forthcoming.

Then there was the climactic title game with Georgia that included a 13-0 halftime deficit, a quarterback switch and an overtime that started for the Tide with a huge sack of Tua Tagovailoa. The final play — Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown heave to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith — was etched in the memories of Tide fans, players and coach Nick Saban.

“I don’t think anybody’s ever going to forget” that play, Saban told a crowd Alabama estimated at 40,000.

“I know I’ll never forget the feeling that I had when Tua takes a sack and one minute later the feeling that I had when we threw the touchdown pass,” he said.

It was the fifth, and perhaps most eventful, championship run of Saban’s 11-year tenure at Alabama. He also matched Bear Bryant with his sixth overall national title.

After receiving a much-debated berth despite a loss to Auburn, Alabama toppled playoff nemesis and top-ranked Clemson in the Sugar Bowl before beating the Bulldogs 26-23 in an All-Southeastern Conference matchup. Second in the SEC West, first in the nation.

“This whole 2017 season, man, it’s amazing,” senior linebacker Rashaan Evans said.

Evans was so excited after the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he says he didn’t take his pads off until returning to the hotel. It was at least the second title celebration for the seniors, and after a snow-filled week in much of the state, temperatures warmed up enough for a comfortable celebration.

Much warmer than the one two years ago.

“I’ve never seen this many fans at a celebration before,” senior center Bradley Bozeman said. “It’s unreal. We’re really blessed to have this fan base.”

Added Evans: “It’s almost like a reunion, man. I remember the first time, it wasn’t near as many people as it was (today). The fact that all of these fans came out, they took the time out of their day to come out here and just have fun with us, it means a lot.”

Team captains Evans, Bozeman, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton spoke at the podium. Hamilton missed the past two playoffs because of knee injuries but savored another championship celebration.

“I’d probably say this one is sweeter just because of the way how we finished out,” he said. “Nobody would have ever thought that after a sack and us being down, and boom, we come back with a haymaker in overtime. It makes the win that much sweeter.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock also were on hand.

This Alabama team is losing a number of key seniors plus five juniors leaving for the NFL draft , including Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, tailback Bo Scarbrough and safety Ronnie Harrison. The senior class won a record 53 games.

Saban ended his speech with a familiar message.

“For the seniors that are here on this team and the guys that will be leaving the team, my message after the game to them was, ‘Use the lessons that you learned in this season to help you be more successful in life. They will serve you well because the things that you did were extremely special,”’ he said. “And to the players that are coming back, get ready for the challenges of the future and let everybody know that we’re not finished …”

He paused to let fans and players complete the sentence: “Yet.”

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He is set to be hosted by Nick Ayers, a Georgia native who is Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, and his wife Jamie Ayers. First Lady Melania Trump is also expected to attend the game, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

APD says it is working with the U.S. Secret Service on security plans.

It’s not immediately certain whether two other top Trump allies in Georgia – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Sen. David Perdue – will join them.

Trump and his aides have focused their attention on the college football playoffs even as he continues a war of words with the NFL over players who protest social injustice during the national anthem.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders opened her press briefing Tuesday by congratulating the SEC schools “from two great states, both in the heart of Trump country” for bowl victories that propelled them to the championship.

Trump carried both states in 2016 – Alabama by nearly 30 points and Georgia by about five. But Alabama voters dealt Trump a blow in December by electing Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate over Republican Roy Moore, who Trump endorsed.

When pressed on Moore’s defeat, Sanders said she was simply trying to congratulate “two great football teams in the greatest conference in the country.”

As the room erupted into laughter, she added: “Which I’m sure that most of you will all agree, even those that don’t live in one of those lucky states.”

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The Crimson Tide quietly seethed, taking names and numbers and filing them away. And on Monday night, Nick Saban and his ferocious defense unleashed the full force of that pent-up rage, making Clemson look like pretenders in the 24-6 win.

SUGAR BOWL: Alabama suffocates Clemson in dominant PLayoff victory

MORE: Alabama big man Da’Ron Payne shows off his hands with INT and TD

ROSE BOWL: Georgia survives Oklahoma in classic, back-and-forth clash

The Alabama defense harassed Kelly Bryant from the opening play — don’t be surprised if he’s still flinching in June — and essentially ended the game with five minutes left in the third quarter, picking him off on back-to-back plays and turning the miscues into 14 points.

Adding insult to injury, Tide nose guard Da’Ron Payne, who conservatively is listed at 308, scored the first of those touchdowns seven plays after picking off Bryant. Linebacker Mack Wilson returned the other interception 18 yards for the score.

“We’ve heard it for a year now,” running back Damien Harris said. “It showed in the way we played tonight how personally we took it. We wanted to take our respect back.”

Now Alabama, the team some suggested was in the playoff more on reputation than résumé, will play Georgia for the national title next week in Atlanta.

In the four years of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide have made the title game all but once. For the sixth time in Saban’s 11 years, Alabama is playing for the national championship.

The dynasty is alive and well.

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