Georgia won its national title in 41 years on Monday when it beat Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff finale. Bulldogs fans were obviously elated by the victory, but fans of the New England Patriots have reason to celebrate as well.
Why? It all has to do with Alabama losing.
The Patriots and Crimson Tide have combined to win six titles since the 2014 NFL and college football seasons. Despite the consistent success of both teams, they have never won a title in the same year.
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Have a look at the full results below, with the championship years for each team bolded.
| Season | Alabama | Patriots |
| 2014 | Lost in CFP semifinals to Ohio State | Won Super Bowl over Seahawks |
| 2015 | Won national title over Clemson | Lost AFC Championship vs. Broncos |
| 2016 | Lost national title to Clemson | Won Super Bowl over Falcons |
| 2017 | Won national title over Georgia | Lost Super Bowl vs. Eagles |
| 2018 | Lost national title to Clemson | Won Super Bowl over Rams |
| 2019 | Missed College Football Playoff | Lost in wild-card round vs. Titans |
| 2020 | Won national title over Ohio State | Missed playoffs |
| 2021 | Lost national title to Georgia | ? |
This is certainly a strange pattern, and its weirdness is furthered by the friendship between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. The two have mutual respect for one another and the Patriots have selected numerous players out of Saban's Alabama program in recent years. The most recent selections were Mac Jones and Christian Barmore. Still, the the two teams haven't been able to finish on top in the same year during the College Football Playoff era.
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Are these results a trend? Or a remarkable coincidence? Those who aren't superstitious will probably believe the latter and will chalk both teams' dominance up to great coaching.
As for those who are superstitious. . . well, this certainly looks like good news for the Patriots as they fight for a Super Bowl in the second year since the departure of Tom Brady. Still, the team will face an uphill battle to win it all, as they'll probably have to get through the Bills, Titans and Chiefs just to emerge from the AFC.
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Also, a rookie starting quarterback has never won a Super Bowl in the 55-year history of the game. Maybe Jones can change things, but it feels like Alabama and New England are heading for a repeat of the 2019 season.