Best SEC teams of the last decade: No. 4 ('11 Alabama)

4.) ALABAMA (12-1, BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS)

After a disappointing 2010, the Tide lost QB Greg McElroy, RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones, LT James Carpenter and DL Marcell Darius. But that wasn’t enough to offset what Alabama returned: a remarkable 10 starters from the nation’s No. 3 scoring defense.

Alabama’s secondary was particularly devastating with players like HaHa Clinton Dix, Vinnie Sunseri, Dee Milliner and Nick Perry — as backups(!). Overall, the defensive starters included four players picked in the first 35 selections of the 2012 NFL draft and three future first-round picks that came off the bench.

No surprise, the team did not allow more than 14 points to an FBS team all season and eventually won the national championship by shutting out LSU, 21-0. The defense held its opponents to single digits in eight games.

Thanks to an outstanding offensive line, a backfield starring Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy and AJ McCarron’s first year as the starting quarterback, the Tide made it all the way to November without anything close to a challenge.

Then, in the “Game of the Century” at LSU on Nov. 5, Alabama’s special teams imploded with four missed field goals. The Tide also threw a goal-line interception. ‘Bama still led 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Tigers rallied to win 9-6 in overtime, rolling to an SEC championship.

Alabama closed out November with a dominant 42-14 win at Auburn, though, setting up a rematch. The Crimson Tide defense demolished the Tigers, holding the team to 92 total yards, and the kicking game got revenge with five field goals.

This team will be remembered for one of the greatest defenses in college football history.

Richardson won the Doak Walker Award, finished third in the Heisman voting and was a Maxwell Award finalist. Linebacker Don’ta Hightower was a finalist for a remarkable four awards (Chuck Bednarik, Butkus, Lott, Lombardi). Courtney Upshaw, Barrett Jones, Mark Barron and William Vlachos were finalists or won major awards.

Richardson, Jones and Barron were unanimous All-American selections and Hightower was a consensus All-American.

Best offensive player: RB Trent Richardson
Best defensive player: LB Dont’a Hightower
Best win: 38-10 at No. 12 Florida one week after hosting No. 14 Arkansas rivaled the national championship revenge win against LSU.
Defining moments: A goal-line interception and four missed field goals led to a home loss vs. No. 1 LSU despite the team allowing just six points in regulation. But the Tide bulldozed through the rest of the schedule. Perhaps the defining moment came after a huge Iron Bowl win, as the team got to rest at home while LSU played in the SEC championship.

ALABAMA’S 2011 SCHEDULE