“I’m speechless right now man,” Watson said after the game. “We worked so hard for it; we fell short last year. This game is not just for me, it’s for all the alumni, the fans, my family in Gainesville.”

It was the second big title game in a row for Watson, who threw for 405 yards in a loss in this game against Alabama last season. He is likely to go in the top 5 of the N.F.L. draft this year.

Watson’s Achilles’ heel during the regular season was the interception, but he threw none in this game.

Alabama for its part kept the ball mostly on the ground. Its freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts was 13-31 for only 131 yards.

Alabama had raced to a 14-0 lead on two touchdowns by Bo Scarbrough. Watson cut the lead to 14-7 with a long drive that ended with his touchdown run.