Decade of Dominance: 10 amazing stats during Nick Saban era

It gets harder and harder to wrap your head around the heights that Alabama has reached under its legendary coach.

As Nick Saban coaches his 10th season on the Alabama sidelines, the magnitude of his dynasty — the greatest in modern college football history — is shocking and can be felt in a variety of ways.

Here are 10 ways, but certainly not the only 10 ways, that can help us fathom the Tide’s incredible run under Saban.

1. When things started rolling

Let’s start with this once since it shows how swiftly Saban corrected the crimson ship. In 2007, Alabama went 7-6 in its first season with the legendary coach, even suffering a four-game losing streak down the stretch before salvaging the season with a 30-24 win over Colorado in the Independence Bowl.

That was before Saban posted the largest win increase from Year 1 to Year 2 by a head coach in school history as the Tide went from seven wins to 12 wins in 2008. (Note: The team’s record in 2007 was officially adjusted to 2-6 by the NCAA for rules violations).

2. Decade of defense

Alabama has established its identity on that side of the ball since Saban came to Tuscaloosa. Dating back to Alabama’s first national title season under him in 2009, the Crimson Tide have led the SEC in yards per play allowed in six of those seven seasons. The 2014 season was the only exception when Florida led the conference.

Meanwhile, Bama has led the SEC in yards per rush allowed in every season since 2008, a span of eight consecutive years. In comparison with Power 5 teams, that’s twice as long as the next-longest streak, which belonged to the Pac-12’s Stanford (2011-14). The Big 12’s TCU (2012-14) and the Big Ten’s Michigan State (2011-13) did it for three straight campaigns.

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3. The bagel on the big stage

How about the ultimate flex of dominance with the ultimate prize on the line? That came when Alabama blanked LSU 21-0 in the 2011 national title game.

Ever since college football’s national champ was officially decided by a national championship game with the advent of the BCS era in 1998, no team has pitched a shutout in any of the other 17 games. In fact, outside of Oklahoma’s 13-2 victory over Florida State in the 2000 title game, every team has scored at least two touchdowns.

4. Almost unbeatable when it counts most

Speaking of the big stage, Saban cashes in when he gets there. He owns an 8-1 combined record in SEC and national championship games at Alabama. The only loss came at the hands of eventual national champion Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.

Including his time at LSU, Saban’s record in those contests improves to a ridiculous 11-1 (6-1 in SEC title game, 5-0 in national title game).

5. Setting a high standard

Saban has led Alabama to 11 or more wins in five straight seasons, which is an SEC record.

Here’s a look at how many 11-win seasons each SEC school has produced since, not just 2011, but the turn of the century. As you’ll see, all of Alabama’s have come under Saban, and that’s more than any institution in the league has had since 2000. Meanwhile, four schools didn’t enjoy a single one.

6. Tide in the top spot

After moving to the top spot in the AP Poll with the win over Clemson in last season’s national title game, that gave Alabama 8 straight seasons with at least one week at No. 1. That broke the all-time record established by Miami from 1986-92.

Prior to this current run, the Tide hadn’t touched No. 1 in the AP Poll since 1992, which was also the last time the school had won a national championship before Saban arrived.

7. Championship glory

Saban is in rare company when it comes to winning it all. He’s one of only four coaches to win four or more national championships in the modern poll era (since 1936). Of course, Saban has five with his 2003 crown at LSU. However, his four at one school is only matched by the others on this list.

Here’s a look at those four coaches.

8. Superb seniors

Alabama’s 2012 senior class matched the NCAA record for most wins in a four-year period (49 also by Nebraska from 1994-97). Meanwhile, Alabama set the record for most major college victories in a five-year period with 61 from 2008-12. That surpassed the Cornhuskers’ mark of 60 from 1993-97.

9. Best defense ever?

Alabama’s 2011 defense was otherworldly. The Crimson Tide only allowed 8.2 points per game, 183.6 total yards per game and 111.5 passing yards per game. All three of those averages are the best marks for any defense since the turn of the century.

That Tide defense, one of the greatest in history, was only the second unit ever to lead the nation in all major categories since statistics were compiled. Aside from the opponent points per game, total yards and passing yards mentioned above, Alabama only allowed 72.2 rushing yards and an 83.7 pass efficiency. Oklahoma’s 1986 team was the only other squad to accomplish that remarkable feat across all those five areas.

10. Tide don’t tailspin

Since 2008, Alabama is the only SEC team to not suffer a three-game losing streak.

While the league’s newest members, Missouri and Texas A&M, have gone through one three-game skid apiece since joining in 2012, every other SEC school with the exception of Georgia and LSU has suffered multiple three-game losing skids.