After 14 weeks of football, Alabama is right where many expected them to be: in the SEC Championship, a favorite to win the national title.

The path that got them here wasn’t lined with roses, though. Alabama had some stumbling blocks and slug-it-out games along the way. Before kickoff on Saturday, let’s look back at Alabama’s first 12 games to see how the Crimson Tide got to this point.

Week 1

Alabama traveled to the Georgia Dome a few months ahead of schedule to take on West Virginia in their season opener. Blake Sims wasn’t perfect in his starting debut, but T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry both went over 100 yards in a 33-23 win.

Week 2

The Crimson Tide kicked off a three-game home stand with a 41-0 win over Florida Atlantic. Amari Cooper went off for a career-high 13 catches and 189 yards, Sims was nearly perfect and Jacob Coker got his first action of the season. Alabama totaled 620 yards of offense.

Week 3

In the final game of its “preseason” schedule, against Southern Mississippi, Alabama once again dominated with more than 500 yards of total offense. Sims was once again lights out, Cooper had 135 yards and touchdown and the defense limited the Golden Eagles to 263 total yards.

Week 4

In their first SEC game of the season, the Crimson Tide overcame several early turnovers to streak past Florida, 42-21. Alabama put up 620 yards of offense, including a record-setting day from Sims. The senior’s 445 yards through the air were second-most in school history, and a stat correction after the game gave him the school’s single-game total yards record with 457. The win pushed Alabama to No. 1 in the coaches poll

Week 5

Alabama had its first bye of the season.

Week 6

Alabama hit its first stumble of the season, falling late to Ole Miss 23-17. Sims’ late interception sealed the loss, but Alabama had several special teams error that cost the team as well, including a fumbled kick return that Ole Miss turned into the game-winning touchdown. This game marked the first in a trend of Alabama not playing anywhere near as well on the road as at home.

Week 7

Following the loss to Ole Miss, which dropped Alabama to No. 7 in the polls, the Tide faced what turned out to be their most difficult win of the season on the road against Arkansas. The Tide pulled out a 14-13 win, but they trailed in the fourth quarter and needed a late interception by Landon Collins to seal it. Alabama was limited to 66 yards on the ground and 223 in total.

Week 8

Alabama returned to the friendly confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium and put a hurting on Texas A&M, whooping the Aggies 59-0. The defense battered A&M quarterback Kenny Hill all afternoon, while the Tide once again rolled up more than 600 total yards. Yeldon and Cooper each scored twice in the blowout.

Week 9

Alabama went back on the road against Tennessee, jumping out to an early lead before holding on for a 34-20 win. Cooper had 224 yards and 2 TD, most of which came in the first quarter. Alabama got the SEC’s first taste of Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who gave the defense some trouble with his mobility.

Week 10

Alabama had its final bye of the season.

Week 11

The Crimson Tide faced one of the most hostile enviroments in the country, but eventually pulled out a 20-13 overtime win over LSU. Alabama trailed 13-10 in the final minute, but Sims drove them down the field for the tying field goal before tossing the game-winning touchdown to DeAndrew White in overtime.

Week 12

The showdown everyone waited weeks for: Alabama vs. Mississippi State. The Bulldogs came in ranked No. 1 in all of the polls and leading the SEC West, but they met their match in Alabama. The defense picked off Heisman candidate Dak Prescott three times, but the Tide still had to hold on late as State rallied. Yeldon and Sims both came up with crucial runs late in the game to ice the W. The win vaulted Alabama to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Week 13

Alabama, in theory, had an easy game leading up to the Iron Bowl, but Western Carolina gave the Tide more than they bargained for in the 48-14 win. The Catamounts kept it close early and several vital Alabama players went down with injures, including Cooper and left tackle Cam Robinson.

Week 14

Alabama and Auburn gave us one of the most thrilling Iron Bowls ever, with Alabama coming back to win 55-44. The 99 combined points were the most ever in Iron Bowl history, and the teams totaled nearly 1,200 yards. Sims shook off three interceptions to help lead Alabama out of a 12-point hole in the third quarter, while Cooper went off for 224 yards (an Iron Bowl record) and 3 TD. Alabama had already locked up the SEC West title thanks to a Mississippi State loss earlier in the day, but kept its playoff hopes alive with the exciting win.