Alabama’s 41-34 victory over Georgia on Saturday night likely won’t happen without one of the most astonishingly athletic games in Crimson Tide football history.

Ryan Williams’ 75-yard catch and run kept Alabama on top with 2:18 to play, just 13 seconds after the Bulldogs took their first lead of the game at 34-33. The freshman from Saraland jumped up to catch an underthrown pass from Jalen Milroe, somehow stayed in bounds, spun between two Georgia defenders and headed for the end zone.

Considering the stakes of the game (No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama), the game situation (the Crimson Tide trailed after leading 28-0) and the sheer athleticism on display (off the charts), Williams ‘touchdown has to be among the largest in program history.

But how high is it on the list?

Here’s our Top 6, at least from televised Alabama football:

6. Tyrone Prothro’s Catch vs. Southern Miss (September 10, 2005)

Prothro’s incredible play to reach behind the back of Golden Eagles defender Jasper Faulk and somehow secure control of the ball is one of the most incredible plays you will ever see. It even won an ESPY for College Football Play of the Year. The 42-yard grab also came on fourth-and-12 and helped Alabama overcome a 21-10 deficit in a game it would win 30-21. It was originally ruled a touchdown before replay overturned the call and gave the Crimson Tide the ball on the Southern Miss 1 (Alabama scored on the next play).

4. The Goal Line Score vs. Penn State (January 1, 1979)

Perhaps the iconic play (or series of plays) from the Paul “Bear” Bryant era of Alabama football, the Crimson Tide stopped No. 1 Penn State at the 1-yard line on three straight plays to earn a 14-7 victory to stay in the match. Sugar bowl. Don McNeal’s second-down tackle of Scott Fitzkee at the 1 is largely forgotten, but was just as fantastic as the third- and fourth-down stops by running backs Matt Suhey and Mike Guman. Alabama linebacker Barry Krauss was at the center of the action, meeting Guman at the top of the pile to stop him near the end zone on fourth down. No. 2 Alabama held on to win the game and claim the fifth of six national titles under Bryant.

3. Second-and-26 vs. Georgia (January 8, 2018)

In terms of the sheer significance of the moment, it doesn’t get much bigger than a touchdown to win in overtime in the national championship game when your team is down by three. Tua Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Smith — a play after he was sacked for a 16-yard loss — gave Alabama the walk-off victory and its fifth of six titles under Nick Saban. The only points you could take off this is because it wasn’t a particularly difficult or athletic play by the quarterback or receiver. Georgia blew coverage so badly that Smith was essentially wide open and all Tagovailoa had to do was get the ball near him.

3. Ryan Williams vs. Georgia (September 28, 2024)

Maybe it’s a matter of recency, but Williams’ game-winning touchdown against the Bulldogs on Saturday night deserves this spot in our opinion. Alabama had just fallen behind after blowing a four-touchdown lead, but Jalen Milroe went straight into the air for his fantastic freshman. Williams outwitted Georgia’s Julian Humphrey for the ball, landed on one foot near the sideline to regain his balance, and somehow burst between Humphrey and fellow defender KJ Bolden to shake free on his way to the end zone. It was just an incredible play at an incredibly crucial moment for the Crimson Tide in a game that (at least temporarily) looked like it was going to slip away.

2. 4th and 31/Gravedigger vs. Auburn (November 25, 2023)

There was so much at stake here: a spot in the national championship race, a three-game winning streak against Auburn and (even if we didn’t know it at the time) the legacy of Nick Saban. It all came together for perhaps the most improbable win in recent Alabama history. The Crimson Tide had first and goal at the Auburn 8, but lost 18 yards on a bad snap, and then five more when Milroe was called for an illegal forward pass. Backing up to the 31, the Alabama quarterback found a leaping Isaiah Bond in the back corner of the end zone with 32 seconds left for the winning touchdown of a 27-24 win. The Crimson Tide defeated Georgia the following week in the SEC championship game before losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, which turned out to be Saban’s last game. If you take anything away from this piece, it’s that Auburn’s coverage was inexplicably soft.

1. George Teague’s strip vs. Miami (January 1, 1993)

Yes, we know Alabama was offside and that play didn’t really count (because Miami accepted the penalty). It doesn’t matter. Teague’s phenomenal rebound and rush to beat Miami’s Lamar Thomas and save what looked like a sure touchdown ultimately became the signature moment of Crimson Tide football between the Bryant and Saban eras. It’s a play like few had ever seen before – and no one has seen it since; not only that Teague caught Thomas, but also that he yanked the ball out and held on to it, all in one motion. Alabama was already leading 28-6, but any chances of Miami making a comeback were gone at that point. Alabama ultimately won 34-13 and became national champions for the first time in 13 years.

So that’s our list. What did we leave out? Send us an email and let us know.

Creg Stephenson worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for various publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him up on X @CregStephenson.