About Alabama Crimson Tide Football

Season Stats

• Regular season record: 12-1
• Rank entering postseason: #1
• Bowl game: The Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinal) vs Ohio State (the winner plays in the CFP National Championship vs the winner of The Rose Bowl)

More on the CFP National Championship game >

Season Happenings

2/25/15: Alabama was traditionally known for their running game and strong defense. That old-fashioned formula made them a long-time powerhouse in college football. While they still have those bedrocks of their foundation, the Crimson Tide has brought a few exceptional wide receivers to the NFL. Julio Jones a few years ago comes to mind and Amari Cooper is considered a can't miss prospect this year. He posted blazing times in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine: 4.42 and 4.43 seconds. He will certainly be a first round pick, and likely the first wide receiver taken in the NFL Draft in May.

2/18/15: Alabama has basically been Running Back U for the past several years, featuring such stars as Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. They typically recruit very well at the position and seem to have an embarrassment of riches that other programs would pay dearly for. They may need that depth as the Crimson Tide suspended running back Tyren Jones indefinitely for unannounced reasons. He was the fourth leading rusher for the team last season with 36 carries for 224 yards (or one Melvin Gordon game). He was also suspended last October for two games, so he may be out for a while as a repeat offender.

2/11/15: Depending on the source, Alabama had the number one or two recruiting class in the nation. Again. The Tide, as usual, reeled in a number of big fish that included four 5-star recruits and 15 4-star recruits. Only the USC Trojans had anything similar to Alabama, and different organizations will rate them differently. What does it mean? Well, many top recruits never pan out, but the teams playing for national championships usually have a number of top ranked recruiting classes, so expect Alabama to stay near the top of college football rankings for the next several years.

2/4/15: Just like several times before in the Nick Saban Era, Alabama is expected to have the highest rated recruiting class in the nation. Using the Rivals rankings from the weekend prior to National Signing Day, Alabama has 23 commits. Four are five-star players and 14 earned four stars. Only Florida State had more five-star guys. And this year was exceptionally difficult for recruiting. All seven SEC West teams and three more SEC East teams are ranked in the top 25. Throw in ACC teams located in the region and a total of 14 of the top 25 teams are located in the Southeast.

1/28/15: The NFL may have Lane Kiffin to kick around again one day, but it will not be for at least another year. Until then, Alabama fans (heck most SEC fans) will be able to kick him around. Actually, Kiffin is a pretty good offensive coordinator and did a great job with the Crimson Tide offense last season, so Alabama fans probably like the fact that Kiffin turned down overtures from the NFL. Alabama will have to break in a new QB next season, but that should not be too much of a concern considering they did that last season as well.

1/21/15: Not many people are going to feel sorry for Alabama when a couple of their best players from last season decided that they would not be back for another run. Those players include wide receiver Amari Cooper, running back T.J. Yeldon and safety Landon Collins. Additionally, QB Blake Sims is graduating. But the Crimson Tide have talent in droves in the ranks ready to move up. Also, Reggie Ragland and Jarran Reed will return for their senior seasons and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is still rebuilding his image, so he will be back in 2015 as well.

1/14/15: An interesting statistic about Nick Saban: Though he is considered the best college football coach in the nation right now by many, he only has an 8-8 record in bowl games. Also interesting is that four of those wins have been for the National Championship, meaning that his teams often do not show up in bowl games where the title is not on the line. But he can recruit with the best. He recently got a verbal commitment from running back Damien Harris. Harris spurned his home state Kentucky Wildcats to join Alabama, which is saying something because the Tide is loaded in the backfield.

1/7/15: The Crimson Tide suffered another tough loss to end their run to the National Championship Game. Last year, it was the famous Kick-Six play which did them in. This season, it was a third-string quarterback with only one start to his name rallying his team to victory. Alabama led the Ohio State Buckeyes by 15 points in the second quarter when OSU started scoring. Alabama tried to come back, but just did not have enough fire power. In the end, the Crimson Tide fell 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl, meaning that the Buckeyes are now headed to Texas to play Oregon in the National Championship Game on January 12th.

12/3/14: The Crimson Tide showed everyone who is the boss of both the state of Alabama and the SEC West by rolling the rival Auburn Tigers 55-44. QB Blake Sims was not sharp through the first two and a half quarters and threw three interceptions. Auburn built up a 12 point lead in that time before Alabama showed their true colors and buried the Tigers. The Crimson Tide not only claimed the Iron Bowl, but also the SEC West title. Had they lost, then there could have been a chance that no SEC team would go to the first College Football Playoff. Alabama can still make the playoff, but they likely will have to beat Missouri in the SEC Championship Game this Saturday to do so.

11/19/14: So now it gets interesting. The fifth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide hosted the number one ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs last Saturday and the Tide came away with a 25-20 victory. The Tide had the first four scores of the game and took a 19-0 lead. The Bulldogs came back and got it to a one possession game at 19-13. The teams traded touchdowns but Alabama came out on top. The playoffs are now squarely in the sight of the Crimson Tide, they just need to win out, which includes the Iron Bowl in the final week of the season against Auburn. Alabama is now 9-1 on the season and will host Western Carolina this weekend.

11/12/14: The Crimson Tide came up big when they needed to and now 'control their own destiny' with a clear path the college football playoffs. Alabama was at LSU last Saturday night and seemingly gave up the winning field goal very late in the fourth quarter. But QB Blake Sims marched to Tide to their own field goal, tying the game just before time expired. Alabama then scored on the opening drive of the first OT and stopped LSU - stunning the home crowd. The Tide is now 8-1 and ranked in the top four. They have a huge challenge this Saturday when they host No. 1 Mississippi State.

11/5/14: There is a lot of chaos in quest for reaching the College Football Playoffs. The initial CFP rankings has Alabama at sixth. That will change over time as so many teams (particularly in the SEC) still have to play each other, which, by definition, means more teams will lose and fall out of contention. Alabama (7-1) is among a myriad of one-loss teams and will certainly have their chance to move up in the rankings. That starts this Saturday. The Crimson Tide had a bye last weekend, which gave them plenty of time to prepare to go to LSU and earn another quality win.

10/29/14: The storyline heading into the Tide's game with Tennessee was that it was offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin's first return to Knoxville since he bolted four years ago for USC. They do not like him much up at Rocky Top, but Kiffin had his offense hot from the start - putting up 20 points before fans could get to their seats. Alabama went on to win 34-20 in a game that was not really even that close. The Tide is now 7-1 overall and 4-1 in conference, and certainly in the sights of the Playoff Committee (especially after Ole Miss lost). Alabama has a bye this week to prepare for a big game at LSU.

10/22/14: Two years ago, Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies strolled into Tuscaloosa and upset the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide. That was not about to happen again. Number 7 Alabama stormed out of the gate with six touchdowns and a field goal in the first half and limiting the potent offense of No. 21 Texas A&M to 57 yards passing and zero rushing yards. Perhaps out of mercy or maybe they just put in their lower string players, but the Tide took their foot off the gas in the second half and only scored 14 points. By the time the final whistle blew, Alabama won 59-0. Another SEC foe this Saturday, at Tennessee.

10/15/14: Alabama and head coach Nick Saban have taken a lot of criticism following the Crimson Tide's loss on the road to Ole Miss in Week 6. Naturally, many pointed to problems on the roster while former QB A.J. McCarron said there is no leadership on the offensive side of the ball. Alabama had another tough road game last weekend against Arkansas, but this time was able to eke out a narrow win 14-13. Blake Sims threw a six yard touchdown pass to DeAndrew White early in the fourth quarter, and the defense did the rest. The Crimson Tide hosts Texas A&M this Saturday, getting a chance to catch the Aggies on a two game losing streak.

10/8/14: Alabama could not avoid an upset to host No. 11 Ole Miss in a week full of upsets to top ranked teams. The Crimson Tide entered the game 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC and ranked third. The upstart Rebels had an identical record and were looking for respect. They earned it. Alabama led 14-3 at halftime and looked to have the game in hand with a seven point lead midway through the fourth quarter. But Ole Miss rallied and scored two late touchdowns for a 23-17 loss. If there is any consolation, it is that Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all lost as well, so the playoff picture is as cloudy as ever. Expect the Tide to take out their frustration on Saturday at Arkansas.

10/1/14: Alabama has certainly looked impressive for the past few weeks and are completely justified with their top three ranking in the country. While everyone knew that head coach Nick Saban would return with an outstanding defense, the offense was a bit of a question mark. After four weeks, a lot of questions seem to be answered, including how new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin would work out. The Crimson Tide has twice thrown for over 400 yards this season - showing a side of dominance that is non-traditional for Alabama. With the offense clicking and the defense still a lock-down unit, the Tide have a clear path to the playoffs. They are back in action this Saturday at Ole Miss.

9/24/14: The Alabama faithful held their breath into the third quarter when the Tide hosted the Florida Gators last Sunday. The Gators had tied the game at 21, but Florida's efforts were simply a paper tiger. The Tide rolled up three more touchdowns and won 42-21. The biggest problem was that Alabama turned over the ball four times. But they did gain 645 yards, threw for 449 and added almost 200 more on the ground. Meanwhile, the Gators had only 200 yards total and were outmatched all around. Alabama has a bye next week before hosting Ole Miss.

9/17/14: It is not hard to feel bad for QB Jakob Coker. He seemed to be the heir-apparent to E.J. Manuel at FSU - then came Jameis Winston and his Heisman Trophy winning campaign. Coker transferred to Alabama, but did not win the starting QB job. The strange thing is that he would probably start for 90% of the teams in college football. But the Tide is not worried about that. They took care of Southern Mississippi last weekend and now have the once-powerful Florida Gators to contend with. Expect yet another big win over the Gators this Saturday.

8/28/14: Not that anyone would ever gamble on college football, but the final preseason betting odds to win the first College Football Playoffs are in. As expected, Florida State and Alabama finished up at numbers 1 and 2, respectively. Reigning National Champion FSU is at 4/1 while the Crimson Tide is just slightly behind at 5/1. The most notable move was Ohio State sliding from 10/1 to 40/1 to 20/1 following the season ending injury to star QB Braxton Miller. Now the only thing left for Alabama to do is name a starting quarterback and win some games.

8/21/14: The state of Alabama may not rest (at least the state with the exception of the Auburn area and parts of Mobile) until Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban names a new starting quarterback to succeed A.J. McCarron. The prohibitive favorite is graduate transfer Jacob Coker, who came to Tuscaloosa from Florida State (who has a pretty good QB of their own). Saban had good words for Blake Sims, though, leading to speculation that Sims may get the nod to start against West Virginia in the first game of the season. Of course, there is still time left and Saban is not one to show his cards early.

8/14/14: As the summer comes close to the end, so do the punishments that head football coaches have doled out to their players for off-field indiscretions. Such is true for Alabama as the team let starters Jarran Reed and Brandon Ivory back on the field for practice. Both played in the spring game but had been suspended indefinitely. But while the team got back two starters, they may lose their best defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. Robinson sprained his knee in practice and the Crimson Tide want to be cautious with getting him healthy again for the regular season.

8/7/14: A lot has been made of who will be the next starting QB for the Alabama Crimson Tide this season. While coaches generally love to have a guy that has experience in the system start the next year, that is not a hard and fast rule. In fact, the last two time that Alabama has had a new starting QB, they won the BCS Championship. All eyes now are on senior transfer Jacob Coker. He lost a close battle with eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston last year at FSU and is the odds-on favorite to be the next QB of the Crimson Tide.

7/31/14: Alabama is one of the most storied programs in all of college football. The program has a long and deep history of success on the field and having some of the best fans around. So it is a shame that recent events have given them a 'black-eye'. A few years ago, a 'fan' poisoned the trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner. More recently, a construction worker on Texas A&M's stadium said that he intentionally installed parts incorrectly. Finally, an alleged Alabama fan sucker punched Tennessee Titans' QB Zach Mettenberger (who played for LSU). These are not the real Crimson Tide fans, and it is a shame that they claim allegiance to a great program and school.

7/24/14: The national college football media descended on Hoover, Alabama last week for the annual SEC Media Days. That gave them a chance to network amongst themselves and make their annual prediction that the Crimson Tide will win both the SEC West and the SEC this coming season. Head coach Nick Saban's press conference was one of the week's highlights and he touched up on underclassmen going to the NFL as well as the speculation of how close he was to going to Texas. For the record, Saban says there were no discussions with Texas and he was never offered a job.

7/17/14: Few head coaches, in any sport at any competitive level, have the credibility of Alabama's Nick Saban. Saban is no stranger to suggesting new policies, rules and programs, though usually it seems that he has an ulterior motive (getting some sort of competitive advantage for his program). Saban recently said that he thinks that the NFL should host pre-combine activities so underclassmen can get a true feel of where they would be drafted. If the grade is fourth round or greater, the student-athlete should be allowed to return to school. That would likely reduce the number of underclassmen who leave school but do not get drafted, then are left without a job or degree.

7/10/14: Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is one of the fortunate few who have been on the staffs of both legendary Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden and current Alabama head coach Nick Saban. He mentioned in a radio interview that the two were/are completely different. Bowden was more laid back and gave his assistants a lot of freedom. Saban is more intense and very controlling. But both have the same approach to being very prepared for games, especially big games. And that is why they are two of the best coaches in the history of college football.

7/3/14: While college football players are not supposed to be paid or receive special benefits, there are always some extra perks that come with being on teams (and not just all you can eat at feeding time). Alabama head coach Nick Saban has traditionally gotten his hands on a sneak preview of upcoming summer blockbuster movies and did so again this year. This time, the team got to see the new Transformers movie a week before anyone else. It is a nice break for the players and does allow for some off-field bonding. Let's just hope the NCAA does not try to come down on coaches for little things like this.

6/26/14: New Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine asserted last week that the New England Patriots had a copy of the New York Jets playbook, and insinuated that Alabama head coach Nick Saban provided it to the Patriots. It is well noted that Saban and Pats head coach Bill Belicheck are close friends, but Saban says that he would never do that. Jets head coach Rex Ryan says that having the playbook would not help much because they change plays so often. Right now, this is nothing more than media fodder during the slow season and hopefully it will go away soon.

6/19/14: Alabama will have a new quarterback this coming season, but the question remains on who that man will be. The Crimson Tide were the fortunate recipients of Jacob Coker's transfer from FSU. Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher has nothing but praise for the young man, who could start right away as a graduate transfer. Fisher thinks that Coker is one of the best QBs in the country but was behind Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston at FSU. If Fisher's words are true, then Alabama could be geared up for another national title run, perhaps against FSU, with the guy that FSU just did not have room for.

6/12/14: And just like that, the rich get richer. Alabama announced that two injured football players are now cleared to take part in football activity. Defensive lineman Darren Lake and wide receiver De Andrew White are those two. White underwent toe surgery in January and Lake is rehabbing from a pectoral injury and has been participating in summer workouts. Another Tide player, Eddie Jackson (cornerback) is still rehabbing after tearing his ACL in spring practices. He may miss most of the season. Of course, the Tide have warchest full of capable players so they probably will not miss a beat.

6/6/14: Thanks to the SEC sticking with an eight conference game regular season, the Crimson Tide was in the strange spot of having a hole to fill for their non-conference schedule in 2015. Alabama already has Wisconsin, Louisiana-Lafayette and a reported FCS opponent lined up, but they need another. With strength of schedule likely to be more important with the new playoff system coming online, it stands to reason that Alabama would like an FBS opponent. Miami may be a possibility, and that would have be a great matchup between two traditional powers that rarely face each other. That appears out the window as the game will likely be played against Southern Mississippi.

5/29/14: There are no shortage of greats who played football for Alabama, which is a major reason why the Crimson Tide is among the most storied and well-respected programs in all of college football. It is long overdue, but the late Derrick Thomas will be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame (several years after he was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame). Thomas may be best known for a great career with the Chiefs that included being a nine time Pro Bowler. However, he was a great college player as well, and still owns records at Alabama for most sacks in a single season (27) and in a career (52).

5/22/14: The SEC has officially decided to go to an eight game regular season schedule for the conference, meaning that some teams will have an extra game to schedule. The caveat is that that extra game must be with a 'Big 5' team - so it must come from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or Pac 12. Rumors are now circulating that Alabama is looking to schedule games with Pac 12 powerhouse Southern California. The teams have met only three times in their history, with the last game was in the 1985 Aloha Bowl. All told, the teams have played seven times, dating back to 1938, with the Trojans holding the 5-2 series lead.

5/15/14: The Crimson Tide was well-represented in the first round of the NFL draft last Thursday. Two players were selected, which is twice as many as the reigning National Champion Florida State Seminoles. C.J. Mosley was taken with the 17th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens and that was followed soon after by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix being taken with the 21st overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Both picks made a lot of sense because the players were the best available at their positions and the teams had glaring holes to fill. Good luck to them both.

5/8/14: For a guy that has made a living out of embarrassing the Big 10 in the biggest games, Alabama head coach Nick Saban had nothing but positive things to say about the conference last week. He insisted on being quoted on saying that the Big 10 is a good conference. In Saban's view, the SEC is a bit superior, primarily because of the recruiting base in the Southeast. And that is a fair point. The Big 10 has been down for a couple of years now, but teams like Ohio State and Michigan State look like they are ready to be legitimate challengers to the the National Championship.

5/1/14: There is a lot of speculation on where former Alabama QB A.J. McCarron will be drafted. The general consensus is that he is not among the top tier of QBs in this year's draft. That being said, the mood has recently shifted, which puts that second tier of quarterbacks not very far behind the top end prospects. Former Alabama offensive lineman, now with the Tennessee Titans, is openly lobbying his team to draft McCarron. Tennessee may be a good fit for him. He would probably have a chance to sit for a year and develop, which is almost unheard of for a rookie quarterback these days.

4/24/14: It may be sacrilege to the Tennessee Volunteers, but their favorite son - Peyton Manning - paid a visit to Alabama and head coach Nick Saban recently. Granted, Peyton has been out of college football for about 15 years, but still, visiting an arch rival in the SEC is generally frowned upon. Peyton, according to Saban, was there to share and learn new insights, which is a testament to his dedication to continually improve. What gets really interesting is that he may have violated the NFL CBA because Broncos' OC Adam Gace may have been present as well, and coaches and NFL players are not to meet unless it is sanctioned by the CBA.

4/17/14: It is still four months away from the start of the college football season, so that means that teams are in their spring camps and giving their faithful fans a preview of the season to come with traditional spring games. Alabama head football coach took a rare break from his preparations (many people may not have known that he was capable of such a thing) to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the baseball version of the Iron Bowl. For the record, Saban got it to the catcher without bouncing the ball, though it was pretty high. Incidentally, Auburn won that game as well, 2-1.

4/10/14: Most, if not all, major football programs find one or more of their player's names a police blotter every year. Even Alabama. To be fair, the Crimson Tide at least has the perception of less illicit activity, and perhaps that is due to the iron fist of head coach Nick Saban. However, running back Altee Tenpenny was pulled over for a broken license plate light while on spring break, but then was arrested for possession of marijuana. Tenpenny played in all 13 games last season and was expected to be a piece of the depth chart in 2014. No punishment yet from the school, but a suspension of some kind is to be expected if he is found guilty.

4/3/14: Former Alabama Crimson Tide QB A.J. McCarron is prepping for the NFL draft these days, and his old head coach, Nick Saban, thinks that every team should want to draft him. McCarron had a wonderful career at Alabama and won two national championships. He is expected to be drafted, but not considered to be at the same level of guys like Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles. McCarron added another achievement to his list, as he and long time girlfriend Katherine Webb got engaged last week. Congratulations to the couple and good luck at the next level.

3/27/14: Alabama head football coach Nick Saban is always looking for some sort of competitive advantage. While he claims that he did not propose the rule change that would allow defenses 10 seconds to make substitutions, he does endorse it - seemingly to slow down up-tempo offenses that give his defenses fits. He also has ideas about changing the NFL Combine to allow players to come back to college after the Combine when they have a better idea of where they will be drafted. That could mean that he keeps some of his players an extra year rather than having to plug in new ones each season.

3/20/14: It is still a long way until the start of the college football season, but that does not mean that there are not a lot of questions to be asked. The one that Alabama head coach Nick Saban is getting tired of is 'who will be the starting quarterback'. The Crimson Tide has several options available and most will get a chance to show their skills in spring practice. The wild card here is Florida State transfer Jakob Coker. Coker barely lost out to Jameis Winston at FSU last preseason and is a graduate transfer to Alabama. He could be a terrific one year stop gap, and may be better than A.J. McCarron.

3/13/14: The war of words over the proposed 10 second defensive substitution rule continues to grow. Alabama head coach Nick Saban, for the record, states that he never proposed the rule, which would allow defenses 10 seconds to make substitutions between plays, thereby slowing down up-tempo offenses. He does, however, say that logic is on the side of slowing down the game, and that would make it safer. Without the rule, offenses could run an additional 10-20 plays per game, which adds up over a season's time. He does make a point, but it is moot now, as the NCAA has tabled discussion on the rule change for now.

3/6/14: It seems like no one is backing Nick Saban these days. Saban proposed a rule change recently, a change that would allow defenses 10 seconds to substitute players. Saban claims that this would reduce injury, though many people believe it to be a way for Saban to slow down up-tempo offenses. A recent poll of coaches indicated 73% of college coaches are against the rule. Most notably, Saban's counterpart at rival Auburn (Gus Malzahn) came out against the rule change. Perhaps Saban has player safety in mind and perhaps not. In any case, it looks like this proposed rule change has little chance of happening.

2/27/14: It is not often when you see a guy that has quarterbacked his team to a couple national championships, won offensive MVP in a title game, and leave a program with a win rate of well over 90% say he is disrespected, but that is the card that former Alabama QB A.J. McCarron is playing today. McCarron is not considered among the top three QBs in the draft, and will probably be a second or third round pick. Perhaps all the hype around more prolific QBs like Johnny Manziel and others has finally gotten to him. That being said, McCarron is certainly respected, and it was not winning that is not in his favor. He had a marvelous college career, but the simple fact is that there are others who are more dynamic at his position.

2/20/14: Alabama got a major flip on National Signing Day by getting linebacker Rashaan Evans to come to the Crimson Tide. Evans is from Auburn, Alabama, and was expected to sign with the Tigers. Now, he is being shunned by the community that he grew up in - claiming that a local article was written urging people to boycott the Evans' family buisiness and people telling restaurants in Auburn not to serve them. It is understandable that Auburn fanbusinesss are upset that Evans is going to Alabama, but completely shunning the family from the community and wishing bad fortune and injury is simply too far.

2/13/14: Alabama did it again. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football. Sure, occasionally an obscure team will have a wild run and make a claim at either a national championship or at least a quality bowl game, but, by and large, the big guys get the glory every year. Once again, Alabama has been ranked with the best recruiting class in the country. It is no coincidence that they have won three national championships in the last five years, considering their consistent top quality recruiting. And to prove it is not a fluke, Florida State has been in the top 10 in recruiting for that same period, and they just won the national championship.

2/6/14: It is amazing what comes out once a former player is not under the thumb of his college coach. Former Crimson Tide QB A.J. McCarron said that he was very surprised that the school hired Lane Kiffin as the new OC. But he had more to say. He also thought that the team last season was too complacent. His belief is that many younger players simply thought they could show up an win because they were "Alabama". Complacency is a problem with successful programs, and he may have a point. That being said, head coach Nick Saban will most likely have the team ready to play in 2014, and searching for anther National Championship.

1/30/14: There has been a lot of negative reaction to Alabama hiring fomer USC, Tennessee, and Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin as the new offensive coordinator. The fallout got a little more real last week when five star QB recruit Ricky Town decommitted from the Crimson Tide and committed to USC. Town developed a good relationship with new USC head coach Steve Sarkasian. Not to worry, though. All indications are that FSU backup QB Jakob Coker will transfer to Alabama, since he will not get much playing time behind Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston for another year.

1/23/14: It is hard to criticize a guy who has won three BCS Championships in four years and had a great shot at another in the fifth, but Alabama fans are a relentless group. Head coach Nick Saban hired former USC, Tennessee, and Oakland head coach Lane Kiffin to be the offensive coordinator next season and the locals do not like it. That being said, the national media is having fun with this hire as well. However, while it is fact that his head coaching jobs have been pretty much disasters, don't forget that he was hired as the OC. Kiffin, as an OC, is actually pretty good. He guided the dominant USC teams in mid 2000's and will bring some life to the Tide offense.

1/16/14: Oh, this could be fun. During that long lapse between the end of regular season and the Sugar Bowl, Alabama head coach Nick Saban brought in former USC head coach (and Tennessee, and Oakland Raiders) Lane Kiffin as an offensive adviser. The move was met with a lot of scorn and ridicule at the time. Saban did not seem to understand why, but when you win three BCS Championships in four years, you get the benefit of the doubt. Now Saban has hired Kiffin as the offensive coordinator. This may come with a lot of resistance from the Tide fans. But won't it be fun the next time they go to Tennessee?

1/9/13: It is turning out to look like the SEC does not want to be part of the Sugar Bowl anymore. The SEC Champion has played for the national championship for the past eight years (including this year). Under the BCS format, that means that the Sugar Bowl is filled by another SEC team - one that fell short in their quest for the championship. For the third time in the past five years, the SEC team failed to show up and was beaten by an inferior opponent. This time it was Alabama losing to the Oklahoma Sooners.

1/2/14: One year ago, in the same Sugar Bowl that the Crimson Tide will play in, the Florida Gators were completely whipped by the Louisville Cardinals. The Gators seemed sad that they were not in a bigger game and let their emotions beat them (giving rise to to a joke about how to make Gator Cookies - put them in a Sugar Bowl for three hours and whip them). Alabama could suffer the same fate except they have one of the best coaches in history leading them into the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. No, it is not the Championship, but Alabama is a dynasty.

12/26/13: The speculation and conjecture surrounding Alabama head coach Nick Saban heading off to Texas has subsided since Saban signed an extension. That allows the coach to focus solely on the Sugar Bowl and the Crimson Tide's opponent, Oklahoma. There is some news going on in the program, though. The Tide signed JUCO player D.J. Pettway back into the program. Pettway was dismissed in February for off-field incidents and spent this season at Eastern Mississippi Community College. He has fulfilled his punishment and it looks like he is back in good standing with the school to play next season.

12/19/13: Bama fans can breathe easy now - it looks like head coach Nick Saban is not going anywhere for awhile. Texas head coach Mack Brown is stepping down after 16 years and UT will have a new coach next year. It will not be Saban who signed an extension with the Crimson Tide to keep him Tuscaloosa. In other news, QB A.J. McCarron placed second in the Heisman Trophy voting, but was still outpaced by winner Jameis Winston (Florida State) over three to one. Alabama plays in the Sugar Bowl on January 2nd against the Oklahoma Sooners.

12/12/13: Hopefully the shock has worn off and the tears have dried up by now. It has been over a week since Alabama lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl on that crazy missed field goal returned for the game winning touchdown. Alabama head coach Nick Saban stumped for Auburn to be ranked #2 in the days following and lobbied that a one-loss SEC school should be ranked ahead of an undefeated Big 10 school (even if it is Auburn). Auburn is off to the BCS Championship Game in Pasadena, California, but the Crimson Tide got a nice consolation prize. They will face Oklahoma in Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 2nd.

12/5/13: Much of the state of Alabama is in mourning this week as they try to get over the shock of not only losing to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but how they lost. Alabama's defense never looked comfortable in the game and the Tigers' offense kept gashing them with big runs. Alabama had a chance to win it when the refs put one second back on the clock, and the Tide tried to kick a 57 yard field goal to win. The kick fell short and Auburn's Chris Davis caught and returned it 109 yards for the Auburn win. It was a stunning series of events knocks Alabama out of the National Championship picture.

11/28/13: Alabama played Chattanooga last Saturday, which was the NCAA football equivalent of a sacrificial lamb. Of course Chattanooga never had a chance and lost 49-0. That was probably generous of the Crimson Tide, who may have been able to run up 100 points if they really wanted. The big game is this weekend against Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl. The winner goes goes to the SEC Championship Game as the SEC East representative. The loser may get a BCS Bowl Game, but that is not guaranteed by any means. Many team have overlooked Auburn this season and Alabama must not make the same mistake.

11/21/13: It is getting exciting in the SEC West now. Alabama survived a slight scare from Mississippi State last Saturday to remain number one in the polls. That also keeps them at number one in the BCS rankings, ahead of undefeated Florida State, Baylor, and Ohio State. The Crimson Tide must get past a very good Auburn team in the Iron Bowl in a couple weeks to advance to the SEC Championship Game, where they would likely play Mizzou or South Carolina. If all goes according to plan, Alabama will face the Florida State Seminoles in the National Championship Game in January.

The Alabama Crimson Tide play Division I college football for the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC)and are coached by Nick Saban. Alabama plays its home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football Tickets- History

The Crimson Tide football program has built a winning tradition since it began in 1892. Alabama has won 13 national titles in its storied history. Six of those titles were won by the legendary head coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant. The school's most recent national crown came in 2009 under Saban. Alabama has also won 26 SEC titles; the most recent was also in 2009. That was also the year the Crimson Tide had one of its own win the Heisman Trophy for the first time. Running back Mark Ingram is Alabama's lone recipient of the award. Other legendary players to come out of Alabama include Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Bart Starr.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football Tickets - Bryant-Denny Stadium

The Crimson Tide play their home games and Bryant-Denny Stadium at 920 Paul W Bryant Drive in Tuscaloosa. The stadium opened on September 8, 1929.It currently holds 101,821 people. The stadium is named after former Alabama president George H. Denny and Bryant. Bryant-Denny Stadium is currently the fifth largest stadium in the U.S.

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