Alabama, Georgia Complete Historic Low-Scoring First Half in National Title Game

The first half of Monday night's highly anticipated national title game between Alabama and Georgia featured a little bit of everything, except for one key component of a football game: touchdowns.

The Tide and Bulldogs combined for five field goals, with Alabama staking itself to a 9-6 lead at the break. Both sides moved the ball decently well, but neither could put everything together near the goal line. The first 30 minutes was historic for its lack of offense, though not unprecedented for the national championship game—particularly for Alabama and the SEC.

Since the BCS established a formal national title game in 1998, Monday marks the third time the first half has featured no touchdowns. The other two times were Oklahoma vs. Florida State in 2000 and Alabama vs. LSU in 2011. This is also the first time ever in the national championship game that the first half has featured five field goals, per ESPN Stats & Info.

There is plenty of precedent for Alabama's offense struggling in these situations, though. According to Jon Solomon of Aspen Sports, the Tide have faced another SEC opponent in the national championship game three times now, and have failed to score a first-half touchdown in all three.

Monday's game is being played 10 years and a day after Alabama beat LSU, 21-0, in a rematch of the national title game. The two sides played earlier that season, with LSU winning, 9-6, in overtime of a game that featured no touchdowns. That national championship game didn't see its first (and only) touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, so perhaps the Tide are simply following a similar script to secure their eighth national title under Nick Saban.