Bama Football @ rollTide.uCan.us

Bama Championships

National Championship Seasons

1925 -- The 1925 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington in the January 1, 1926 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team initially fell behind the undefeated Huskies, but rallied in the second half to defeat Washington 20-19. The outstanding player of the game was Johnny Mack Brown. The 1925 Alabama football team finished the season with a 10-0-0 record and was selected national champions by Football Annual and the Helms Athletic Foundation.

1926 -- The 1926 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1927 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team tied the Indians 7-7 to finish the season 9-0-1. The outstanding player of the game was Fred Pickhard. The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.

1930 -- The 1930 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington State in the January 1, 1931 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team defeated the Cougars 24-0 to finish the season 10-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was John Campbell. The 1930 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Davis poll.

1934 -- The 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1935 Rose Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Indians 29-13 to finish the season 10-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Millard "Dixie" Howell. The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus. The University of Alabama honored Ben McLeod, Jr., the 95-year-old former backup End and last surviving member of the 1934 team, at the September 6, 2008 Alabama-Tulane game.

1941 -- The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 8-2-0. Alabama's squad finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference after suffering losses to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Alabama was then invited to play Texas A&M in the January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Aggies 29-21 to finish the season 9-2-0. The outstanding players of the game were Holt Rast, Don Whitmire, and Jimmy Nelson. While the final AP Poll ranked the 1941 Alabama football team #20, the squad was selected national champions by Football Thesaurus.

1961 -- The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Led by quarterback Pat Trammell, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and two-way lineman Billy Neighbors, Alabama outscored their opponents 297-25. Alabama was then invited to play the #9-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1962 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 10-3 to finish the season 11-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Mike Fracchia. The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.

1964 -- The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was led by quarterback Joe Namath. Alabama was then invited to play the Texas Longhorns in the January 1, 1965 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Longhorns 21-17 to finish the season 10-1-0. The outstanding player of the game was Joe Namath. Because final polls were released before bowl games were played at the time, the 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls in favor of undefeated Arkansas. Because of the controversy, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion in the 1965 season.

1965 -- The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 8-1-1, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide lost to Georgia and tied Tennessee during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play Nebraska in the January 1, 1966 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Cornhuskers 39-28 to finish the season 9-1-1. The outstanding player of the game was Steve Sloan. The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.
1966 - Alabama was not voted national champions in 1966, but they won it none the less. Alabama's 1966 team was one of Bryant's most dominant, ripping through the schedule undefeated while only giving up 37 points on the season. Bama won its third SEC championship in a row and ninth overall. The matchup with Tennessee was the only close game of the year. The Volunteers took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and the score stayed that way until the fourth. Early in the fourth quarterback Ken Stabler scored on a two-yard touchdown run and then threw for a two-point conversion that made it 10-8. Later in the quarter a 14-play drive resulted in a field goal that gave Alabama an 11-10 lead with 3:23 to go. Tennessee drove the ball to the Alabama 3-yard-line in the final seconds but missed the field goal and Alabama won 11-10. The season was capped with a 34-7 beat down of Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Bama went undefeated and was two-time defending national champions, but did not win the national title in 1966 because voters rewarded Notre Dame after Fighting Irish coach Ara Parseghian, with his team tied 10-10 with Michigan State with 1:10 to go, chose to play for the tie rather than attempt to win the game. The Fighting Irish and Spartans both finished 9-0-1 and were ranked #1 and #2 in the polls, while Alabama finished third. Writer Keith Dunnavant suggests in his book about the 1966 season, The Missing Ring, that the continuing segregation of the Alabama football team (the Crimson Tide did not integrate until Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell made the 1971 team), as well as violent resistance by white Alabamians to the Civil Rights Movement, cost the Crimson Tide support with voters in 1966 and led to the third-place finish
1973 -- The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Fighting Irish 24-23 to finish the season 11-1-0. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Coaches Poll as at the time the final poll was announced prior to the bowl games. Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, the Coaches Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974.

1978 -- The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-1-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #10-ranked Nebraska 20-3, and defeated #11-ranked Missouri 38-20, and lost to Southern Cal during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #1-ranked Penn State in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Nitanny Lions 14-7 to finish the season 11-1-0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss. The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.

1979 -- The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #18-ranked Tennessee 27-17, and defeated #14-ranked Auburn University 25-18 during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #6-ranked Arkansas in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 24-9 to finish the season 12-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was running back Major Ogilvie. The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.

1992 -- The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Gene Stallings, completed the regular season 11-0-0. They then defeated #12-ranked Florida in the inaugural SEC Championship Game, defeating the Gators 28-21; the win gave Alabama its 20th SEC title and a record of 12-0-0. Alabama was then invited to play #1-ranked Miami in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. Coach Stallings' team defeated the Hurricanes 34-13 to finish the season 13-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic. The 1992 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.
2009 - The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Nick Saban, completed the regular season 12-0-0. They then defeated #1-ranked Florida 32-13 in the SEC Championship Game. The win gave Alabama its 22nd SEC title and a record of 13-0-0. Alabama was then invited to play #2-ranked Texas in the January 7, 2010 BCS Championship Game. Coach Saban'' team defeated the Long Horns 37-21 to finish the season 14-0-0. The 2009 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the BCS, AP and Coaches Polls.
2011 - The 2011 Alabama completed the regular season 11�1, but never trained in regulation. The sole blemish of the season was an overtime loss to the LSU Tigers. Although Bama moved the ball against LSU, five missed field goals resulted in a tie at the end of regulation and an eventual loss in overtime 9�6. The team did not play in the SEC championship game because of that loss, but won their final 3 regular-season games in dominating fashion to receive a No. 2 ranking in the BCS poll. For its final regular season game, the Tide defeated rival Auburn Tigers 42-14. Alabama, led by Heisman trophy finalist Trent Richardson, was then invited to play the #1�ranked LSU Tigers in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. Coach Saban's team defeated the Tigers 21�0 to finish the season 12�1. Jeremy Shelley made a bowl record-tying five field goals in the game. The game's offensive MVP was QB A.J. McCarron, and the defensive MVP was LB Courtney Upshaw. With the win, Alabama became the first team to shut out their opponent in a BCS bowl game. In addition to winning the BCS National Championship, the AP also awarded its national title to Alabama for the 8th time.
2012 - The 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Nick Saban, completed the regular season 11�1. The only loss of the season was to the Texas A&M Aggies, 29-24. Despite the loss, Alabama won the SEC Western division and went to the 2012 SEC Championship Game, where it defeated the the Georgia Bulldogs 32-28 for its 23rd conference championship. Alabama earned a No. 2 ranking in the final BCS rankings for the second straight year to earn a spot in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against #1-ranked Notre Dame. Coach Saban's team defeated the Fighting Irish 42-14 to finish the season 13-1. The game's offensive MVP was RB Eddie Lacy, and the defensive MVP was LB C.J. Mosley. Alabama became the third team in history to win three national championships in four years. This is Alabama's 9th AP national championship,10th wire-service championship and 15th over all championship.