PASADENA, Calif. — It was a critical moment for the Georgia Bulldogs. Playing Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Rose Bowl, they had erased what seemed a devastating halftime deficit only to fall behind again, 45-38, late in the fourth quarter. But they had marched down the field and, with 55 seconds left, running back Nick Chubb had scored on a 2-yard dash.

At that moment, they had a decision: Should they go for a 2-point conversion and try to win the game right there?

It would not have been a crazy trigger for Georgia Coach Kirby Smart to pull. The rushing game is his offense’s hallmark and was their most effective weapon Monday night, with their three running backs averaging 11.4 yards per carry. The bet would have been that a short running play would have given the Bulldogs a better chance than kicking the extra point and then trying to beat Oklahoma — statistically college football’s best offense, helmed by the Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield — in overtime.

Instead, Smart elected to take the extra point. Georgia held Oklahoma on the final drive in regulation. After the teams traded field goals in the first overtime, Georgia blocked Oklahoma’s field-goal attempt in the second and then scored a touchdown to win, 54-48, and head to the national championship game next Monday, where the Bulldogs will face Alabama.