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Under Nick Saban, Alabama has gotten accustomed to being at the top of the polls. Since Saban came to Tuscaloosa, Alabama has been ranked No. 1 in 40 out of 131 polls, an absurdly high amount of time spent out in front.
With so much time at the top of the mountain, you’d think it uncommon for Alabama to get to play another team holding down the No. 1 ranking. You would be right; it’s only happened four times in Saban’s eight years. The coach has led his troops to a 3-1 record in those games, including two wins in BCS Championship games.
This weekend, Saban and the Crimson Tide get another crack at the top team in the country. Mississippi State enters Saturday’s showdown having sat atop the polls for five straight weeks, the first five times in school history the Bulldogs have been ranked No. 1. Before the clash that will likely decide the SEC West, let’s take a look back at how Saban-led Alabama teams have fared against top-ranked opponents.
2009 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: NO. 2 ALABAMA 32, NO. 1 FLORIDA 13
Seeking revenge for a loss in the previous year’s conference championship game, the Crimson Tide came out and ended Tim Tebow’s SEC career in emphatic fashion for Saban’s first SEC championship at Alabama. In the win, the Tide followed the formula that has defined the majority of the Saban era: a powerful running game, a competent quarterback and a bone-crushing defense. Mark Ingram cemented his Heisman campaign with a monster effort, piling up 113 yards and punching in a career-high 3 TD. Greg McElroy did all that was asked of him, completing 12-of-18 passes for 239 yards. The defense limited Tim Tebow to one of the worst games of his senior season, holding him to 310 total yards. The special teams problems that have cropped up for Alabama during Saban’s time were present in this game, as they missed an extra point and failed to convert a 2-point conversion.
GAME OF THE CENTURY 2011: NO. 1 LSU 9, NO. 2 ALABAMA 6
This game was circled on everyone’s calendar for nearly the entire season, and it lived up to the legendary levels of hype as a defensive struggle for the ages. Neither team reached the end zone, and the Crimson Tide lost despite outgaining LSU and drawing even in the turnover battle. The culprit? Missed special teams opportunities. Alabama missed three field goals and had another one blocked, ending the game 2-for-6 on field goal tries. One of the misses came on the first possession of overtime, when Cade Foster couldn’t connect from 52 yards on the first possession of the extra frame. LSU would win it on the ensuing possession.
2011 BCS CHAMPIONSHIP, THE REMATCH: NO. 2 ALABAMA 21, NO. 1 LSU 0
Alabama landed on its feet after losing to LSU earlier in the season, winning its final three games of the regular season. Stanford and Oklahoma State, the two teams that moved ahead of the Tide, fell in successive weeks following the loss to LSU to set up a Crimson Tide-Tigers rematch for the national championship. Alabama took it to LSU in the Super Dome, smothering the Tigers offense and allowing just 92 total yards. The Crimson Tide still missed two field goal attempts, but went 5-for-7 in total before icing the game with a Trent Richardson touchdown run with 4:36 to go (also missing the extra point attempt).
2012 BCS CHAMPIONSHIP: NO. 2 ALABAMA 42, NO. 1 NOTRE DAME 13
Alabama spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 2012 before dropping a game to Johnny Manziel. They overcame that loss to win the SEC in a tight championship game against Georgia, coming up against the undefeated Fighting Irish. Notre Dame never had a chance, though. Alabama boat raced the Irish, jumping out to a 35-0 lead before fans could even get settled in their seats. Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon combined as a dynamic one-two punch, combining for 248 yards and 2 TD, while AJ McCarron tossed 4 TD and was 20-for-28 for 264 yards.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
