Editor's note: This is an excerpt from the Tuscaloosa News' commemorative book on Nick Saban and his Alabama football dynasty. The book includes the complete top 10 Alabama games during the Saban era and detailed documentation for each game, along with top players, all-season rankings, and more. You can order this book online at Sabanbook.com.
Great coaches bring great games to victory. Here are the top five Alabama football games from the Nick Saban era.
1. Alabama 32, Florida 13
SEC Championship Game — December May 2009
This was a watershed game that tilted the SEC toward Alabama for the first time in the Saban era. The Crimson Tide, who lost to the mighty Gators in the SEC title game the previous year, entered the game as a five-point underdog and pulled off the upset with their stifling defense and ferocious rushing attack.
A star-powered Florida team that included defending national champion and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow entered the game undefeated, defeating all but one of its opponents (Arkansas) by at least 10 points. We defeated them by a wide margin. The team's demeanor during the pregame walkthrough was decidedly different, with the Gators taking a laid-back, jovial approach while UA, as has been their practice under Saban, was all business. After this victory, Alabama would not be an underdog again until his 2015 season.
they said so
“He's a great player, but we're tired of him.” — Tebow's Alabama receiver Julio Jones.
2. Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT)
College Football Playoff Championship Game — January August 2018
Did Alabama deserve to be in the College Football Playoff? This question loomed large in the national context heading into the CFP and after Alabama's 26-14 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. was. Although it was only UA's first loss of the season, there were some objections to the Crimson Tide joining the four-team field without winning a division or playing in the SEC title game.
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Only a national title could calm them down, and for the most part in Alabama's overtime win over Georgia, it never looked like UA would make it. There was also a long-awaited first coaching showdown between Saban and longtime defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who led the Bulldogs to the brink of a national title in just his second season.
they said so
“I asked Tua (Tagovailoa), 'Why did you take the sack when you needed a field goal to stay in the game?' He said he needed more space to throw the ball. I said, 'That's not fun.'” — Saban
3. Alabama 45, Clemson 40
College Football Playoff Championship Game — January November 2016
No one knew it that night, but this classic moment was the beginning of a new dynastic conflict. Alabama and Clemson faced off in the College Football Playoff for the fourth straight year, with both winning twice. It all started in the 2016 CFP National Title Game, remembered as Saban's boldest and greatest coaching career.
“I feel like I looked a little older tonight,” he said later. Perhaps it's because the last three national title games at the University of Alabama were won by 16 points or more. This time, his Crimson Tide scored 24 points in an action-packed fourth quarter after trailing 24-21. The University of Alabama ended its three-year winless drought not with its defense, but with the heroic performances of its offense and special teams.
they said so
“We've been working on that (onside kick) every week for 10 weeks. Then we worked on it in practice Thursday and we dropped it.” — Marlon Humphrey, Alabama cornerback
4. Alabama 41, Georgia 30
September 27, 2008
Scott Cochran called it that. Cochran, who was Alabama's strength and conditioning coach at the time, made a declaration that went far beyond the practice field ahead of the Tide's showdown with No. 3 Georgia. Cameras captured Cochran saying the Bulldogs would wear black jerseys in blackout games that season because they were going to their own “(expletive) funeral.”
The words were as colorful as they were bold, considering that the black uniforms had already served the Bulldogs well. UGA wore the shoes during the 2007 season to beat Hawaii and Auburn, but the mystique disappeared against Alabama. The Tide crushed the Bulldogs, leading 31-0 at halftime and vaulting into the national championship race for the first time under Saban. After starting the season at No. 24, Alabama jumped from No. 8 to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll. This victory sent a clear message to the rest of the college football world. Alabama is back, even if Saban didn't say so.
they said so
“We just got whipped. There are no excuses and don't expect anything from me.” — Mark Richt, Georgia football coach
5. Alabama 27, Auburn 24
November 25, 2023
A grave was dug in Alabama. Or so it seemed. In the final minutes, the Crimson Tide needed to go 4-for-31 to survive not only the game against Auburn, but also the College Football Playoff. If we lose, that hope will be extinct. And it all came down to one seemingly impossible play. Then the Crimson Tide crawled out of its grave, slamming the Tigers into their graves.
On fourth-and-31, quarterback Jalen Milroe hit receiver Isaiah Bonds in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Alabama took the lead with 32 seconds left. This play, which Bonds referred to as the “Gravedigger,” ultimately gave the Crimson Tide the victory, allowing Saban to make it to the College Football Playoff for the final time with the iconic Iron Bowl victory. did.
they said so
“If you've been doing this long enough, sometimes you're at a disadvantage on the last play of the game. Sometimes you get lucky and it works out.” — Saban
(Nick Kelly and Bennett Durand contributed to this article.)
