It only took Nick Saban one season to return Alabama to national powerhouse status after he signed on to coach the Crimson Tide. After a 7-6 season in 2007, Alabama has won at last 10 games in every season from 2008-14, with three national titles and three more SEC championships in that span. It’s been another golden age in a program that has plenty of them.

While the Tide won the SEC title last fall, it feels like the rest of the nation has caught up, especially with two straight Sugar Bowl losses. There are whispers in some corners of the college football community that Saban’s run at Alabama has already crested.

All of the stars that fueled Alabama’s championships are gone, with just a few backups left playing now prominent roles. Still, the Tide keep recruiting at an absurdly high level, and Saban hasn’t given any indication that he’s going anywhere. Those two should be enough to keep Alabama in the national conversation until further notice.

How does where Alabama stands now compare to the most recent dominant runs made by programs from around the nation in college football?

Florida, 2005-09

Coach: Urban Meyer
Record: 57-10
Accomplishments: 2 national championships (2006, 2008), 2 SEC championships
How it ended: There were a confluence of factors that led to Florida’s downfall, one that it hasn’t pulled out of yet. First, one of the greatest football players ever in Tim Tebow graduated. Meyer also announced his retirement, only to change his mind and come back for one final season at Florida. After Meyer left for good, the institutional problems at Florida became clear, with issues abound throughout the program. The Gators’ run may have continued had Cam Newton not transferred due to legal issues.
How it compares: Saban is not going anywhere, and while Alabama has had a few arrests, it doesn’t seem like the program has gotten out of control. The only comparison is that Alabama just lost an all-time great in Cooper.

Southern California, 2002-08

Coach: Pete Carroll
Record: 82-9
Accomplishments: 2 national championships (2002-03), 6 Pac-10 championships
How it ended: Carroll kept the Trojans humming along even after Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and the rest of his stars from USC’s near-threepeat left school thanks to phenomenal recruiting and, of course, his coaching prowess. Things started to crumble in 2009, and after the season Carroll jetted to the pros to coach the Seattle Seahawks — just ahead of NCAA sanctions stemming from improper benefits given to Bush, resulting in the running back vacating his Heisman Trophy win and the Trojans having to vacate the 2004 BCS championship.
How it compares: There aren’t even rumors of Alabama having committed major NCAA infractions, which led to USC’s downfall. Unless a bombshell comes out that drives off Saban and invalidates the Crimson Tide’s recent national championships, Alabama seems safe from this fate.

Florida, 1991-2001

Coach: Steve Spurrier
Record: 113-25-1
Accomplishments: 1 national championship (1996), 6 SEC championships
How it ended: Given the aerial reign the Gators had in the SEC during Spurrier’s tenure, it was only a matter of time until an NFL team pried him away. That’s what happened after the 2001 season, when Spurrier abruptly left the program to coach Washington in the NFL. Ron Zook took over the program and led the Gators to nothing but mediocrity, lasting less than three years.
How it compares: Saban has already scratched the itch of the NFL. If he does decide to step down, Alabama has multiple former head coaches on the roster ready to step up, along with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Florida State, 1987-2000

Coach: Bobby Bowden
Record: 152-19-1
Accomplishments: 2 national championships (1993, 1999), 9 ACC championships
How it ended: From the day the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1992, Bowden’s teams started laying the smackdown on the conference. They won the ACC in their first year, and in their second season in the conference, the ‘Noles scored a Heisman winner in Charlie Ward and a national championship. FSU won or shared the conference championship every year from 1992-2000. Even before that, they had won at least 10 games for five straight seasons, giving the school 14 straight 10-win campaigns in total. After the Seminoles lost the 2000 Orange Bowl to Oklahoma in a thud, a 13-2 loss that would have given Bowden a third national title, things fell apart. That team lost 25 seniors, including Heisman winner Chris Weinke. Offensive coordinator Mark Richt left for Georgia, replaced by Bowden’s son Jeff. The program won 10 games just once more until Bowden retired after the 2009 season.
How it compares: The Seminoles might be the closest parallel to Alabama. Nothing happened to FSU, per se, just that the talent left town quicker than Bowden could replace it, all while it seemed like the coach lost his fastball. Saban is a driven coach, but anyone that works as hard as he does is at risk for burnout and falling off the top of their game.