Alabama football: Bryce Young makes legit case for No. 1 pick in Sugar Bowl

Starting the Sugar Bowl just 1-for-4 passing and trailing 10-0, it felt like Bryce Young and Alabama football were in serious trouble against Kansas State.

The talented quarterback was playing in his final game as a member of the Tide which, for a potential No. 1 overall draft pick, is a rarity these days in the non-playoff field. And he was struggling against what looked to be an upset-hungry Kansas State team that threw the first couple of haymakers to the Tide’s dome.

On a third-and-long with the game in danger or spiraling early on, Young stepped back, faced a boatload of pressure, remained calm, and hit Jahmyr Gibbs across the middle for a 60-yard gain.

From that point on, Young was a different quarterback.

The potential No. 1 overall pick truly made the case to be that top selection in the upcoming draft, passing for 321 yards and five touchdowns while going 14-for-17 after that 1-for-4 start.

The Alabama football star went out on a high note

Not making the playoff a year after losing to Georgia in the title game was disappointing, as was not being invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, but Young kept his head down and kept grinding.

There will be plenty of debate about who should be the top overall pick in the draft, but Young made his case by playing in a non-playoff New Year’s Six bowl and dominating a Power Five conference champion. He took a punch to start the game and then responded with an immediate knockout, having a near-perfect game from that point on.

Although the end of his career would have been much more storybook-like if he had won a national title with the Tide, Young had a heck of a two-year run following Tua Tagovailoa.

Young is now No. 2 all-time in passing touchdowns at Alabama in two years of starting and he’ll go down as one of the best quarterbacks in program history.

His dominant Sugar Bowl performance just adds to his legacy and No. 1 draft pick resume.