Some Alabama folks still can’t accept the fact that the Crimson Tide was beat by UGA in the national championship game.

The latest example is Alabama star Jameson Williams, who spoke to reporters at Wednesday’s NFL Combine.

“I felt like we would’ve won the game (if I had not gotten injured). Just -- things happen, you know.”

What happened to Williams on that infamous day was awful -- he tore his ACL in the second quarter and did not return. Williams had four catches for 65 yards before exiting the game with the score tied 3-3.

Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and Georgia had its share throughout the season:

Impact players such as offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, receiver Arian Smith and All-America safety Tykee Smith, among others, missed all or significant parts of the season due to health reasons. Top NFL prospect George Pickens and quarterback JT Daniels also missed big stretches of games due to injuries. All-America tight end Brock Bowers was one of many UGA players to play through the injuries, as Bowers will miss spring practice while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Back to Alabama: No one has pointed more fingers after the UGA loss than coach Nick Saban. The coaching legend was in the process of trying to say something inspirational at a clinic last month, but squarely laid the blame on three of his young defensive players:

“We lost the national championship game, basically because we had 3 corners out, both starters and the best backup. So we’re playing with some guys that didn’t have a lot of experience. It eventually got us in the fourth quarter. We had the kind of team where we had a really good quarterback and we wanted to have skill guys that they couldn’t guard. So we had 2 who were really, really good — (John Metchie III and Jameson Williams). They both got hurt.

“Now, we were playing with guys that typically didn’t have to play at those positions. The lesson to be learned is there were 3 guys, and I’m not calling out any names, that basically didn’t do the things they needed to do throughout the season because they were frustrated with their circumstance. … They’re frustrated with their circumstance because they’re not playing as much as they want to. They’re outcome oriented, they want to worry about how many balls they catch or how much playing time they get or whatever it is. So they don’t focus every day on being a complete player at their position, and they don’t work in practice and prepare for the games because they say to themselves, ‘Why should I do this? I’m not gonna play anyway.’

“So, we had 3 guys, they all had a significant role in the national championship game, and not 1 of them, not 1, could take advantage of the opportunity that they had, because they never ground through it. They never made themselves the best player they could be. When they got the opportunity, they couldn’t do it. That’s a lesson for everybody. What comes first? Playing time? Or making sure that you’re ready to play and create value for yourself when you get the opportunity?”

Interestingly, Saban did not comment on his role or his staff’s role in preparing the young players.