Comeback victories, one would think, haven’t been reserved for Alabama football over the past 15 years because, well, aren’t the Crimson Tide usually ahead by 40 in the 4th quarter of most games?
Well, it’s time to put that way of thinking to bed. Kind of like how Alabama puts opponents to bed in the 4th quarter when it’s trailing.
Yes, you heard that. The Crimson Tide are really, really good at coming from behind, not when they innocently trail in the 1st quarter or 2nd quarter, but when it matters most, in the 4th quarter. It happened again on Saturday in Week 7 of the 2024 season, even if by Alabama’s lofty standards it never should have against a so-so South Carolina team, and at home no less.
But there was Alabama on Saturday, trailing the gritty Gamecocks, 19-14, going into the 4th quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. And though it was torturous until the very end, when an Alabama interception finally held off South Carolina after it recovered an onside kick, the Crimson Tide pulled off yet another comeback in the final period, improving their record to 15-14 when trailing going into the 4th quarter.
While that mark might not seem elite, it is. According to SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic, the Crimson Tide have the best record in the FBS over the past 15 years when trailing going into the 4th quarter.
.@AlabamaFTBL is now 15-14 when trailing entering 4th quarter.
That's best record in FBS over last 15 years.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 12, 2024
That, of course, includes a lot of 4th-quarter comebacks during the Nick Saban era, when Alabama was behind late more often than you think it was.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
