It’s been a long road for Alabama, which is only days away from the one-year anniversary of the crushing defeat handed down by a Dabo Swinney-led Clemson team in the national championship game.

The sting wasn’t easy for Alabama fans, but look how far things have come since then.

RELATED: 10 events that led Georgia to the national title game

In order to reminisce on how far the Crimson Tide have come, here are 10 events that played a crucial role in the team making its way back to the national championship stage for the sixth time in nine years:

1. Monday, Jan. 9, 2017

If there was one word to describe that cool January night in Tampa … epic.

Both teams came to play that night. The start was a little slow — only 7 total points scored in the first quarter — but things picked up quickly. Over the last three quarters, Alabama and Clemson combined for 59 points.

Ultimately, Clemson’s superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson led the Tigers to a 35-31 victory in the final moments of the game, which helped spark an Alabama team to want to use 2017 as a hunt for revenge.

2. Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017

Less than a month after that painful loss to Clemson, Alabama had the chance to reclaim its dominance — just not on the field.

The Crimson Tide’s seventh consecutive No. 1 recruiting class didn’t disappoint, either. The group consisted of six 5-stars prospects on top of 16 more 4-stars — which included the No. 1 running back (Najee Harris), the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) and the No. 1 offensive tackle (Alex Leatherwood).

The impact this 2017 class has already had on Alabama football has been evident.

3. Saturday, July 29, 2017

This date may not be recognizable for most — maybe even Alabama fans. It was the day that senior defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand was arrested for a DUI.

Now, you may be wondering why this date is important. Well, it showed us a lot about Nick Saban.

The head coach didn’t end up suspending Hand because he determined that his player had made the correct choice by not driving. Hand was behind the wheel, but the car was in park with the key in the ignition — and he was asleep.

Despite scrutiny from the media, Saban chose to go with a lesser form of discipline, and he put his faith in Da’Shawn’s hands. Since that incident, there have been no more known disciplinary issues for Alabama.

4. Saturday, Sept. 3, 2017

The showdown that was labeled as the “greatest opening game in college football history” didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Despite playing the No. 3 team in the country, Alabama was able to continue its long-standing reputation of slowly smothering opposing teams over the course of four quarters.

The Tide only took a 3-point lead into halftime against the Seminoles, but scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to walk away with a 24-7 win. It was the perfect launching point into the regular season.

5. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2017

Alabama opened SEC play on the road against an undefeated Vanderbilt team that had the top-ranked defense in the country.

After scoring 21 points in the first quarter, the Crimson Tide made it apparent how good of a team they were — and how bad the Commodores were in the process. They didn’t stop there, either.

Alabama out-gained (677 yards to 78), outscored (59-0) and out-willed Vandy — showing the rest of the country just how dominant it could be.

6. Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017

Going into Starkville to play No. 16 Mississippi State ended up being a tougher test than some people thought it would be.

Through three quarters, the Tide found themselves trailing 21-17 with their hopes of another Playoff appearance on the line. They proceeded to outscore the Bulldogs 14-3 in the final quarter, including a six-play, 68-yard game-winning touchdown drive that took only 44 seconds and finished with only 25 seconds left.

It was the first time that quarterback Jalen Hurts had came through in a clutch moment with his arm rather than his legs.

7. Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017

This wasn’t an easy loss for Tide fans to swallow. Not only was it Alabama’s first loss of the season, the 12-point defeat was also the biggest Iron Bowl loss for the Tide since 1969.

It was the second time in only a three-week period that the Tigers had defeated the No. 1 team in the country (Georgia in Week 11). It also put Auburn in a position to represent the West in the SEC Championship Game.

With Alabama not making an appearance in the conference championship, it was looking less and less likely that they would have a chance at a fourth consecutive Playoff.

8. Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017

That lack of hope didn’t last long, however. Only a week later, Georgia was able to get revenge against Auburn en route to a 28-7 victory to win the SEC.

On top of that, Ohio State didn’t blow anyone away with its performance against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game — creating a glimmer of hope for the Crimson Tide.

9. Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017

Less than 24 hours later, Alabama found itself in position to make a run at its fifth national championship since 2009.

The selection committee decided that the Tide was one of the four best teams in the country — putting them in over No. 5 Ohio State. But there was still one obstacle standing in their way of a championship appearance … a new nemesis, if you will.

It was determined that No. 4 Alabama would need to go through No. 1 Clemson. Playing the No. 1 team on the first day — of the first month — of the new year only served as an even bigger reminder that Alabama needed to take back its place as college football’s top program.

10. Monday, Jan. 1, 2018

The Tide came into the Sugar Bowl with a chip on their shoulder. That was apparent from Clemson’s opening drive when the Tigers only gained 3 yards before having to punt.

The rest of the game didn’t yield much better results for Clemson, as it was only able to gain 185 more total yards and scored only 6 points.

Alabama, on the other hand, put up 24 — vaulting the Tide onto the biggest stage college football has to offer.