Alabama football: 5 best seasons in program history

1. 2009

Record: 14-0 | Finish: National Champions, beat Texas 37-21 in Rose Bowl

After posting a 12-2 record but losing to Florida in the SEC Championship Game in 2008, the Crimson Tide came into the 2009 campaign with quite a bit of expectations placed upon them. They entered the year, the third under Nick Saban, as the No. 5 ranked team in the preseason AP Top 25 with hopes of Saban fully rebuilding a program that had gone just 77-55 from 1997-2006.

Alabama was tested right out of the gate as they toppled No. 7 Virginia Tech by 10 points. Throughout the regular season, they took down four top 25 teams, three by double digits. For good measure, Saban’s club allowed more than 20 points in just three of their 12 regular-season games as they went a perfect 12-0.

Then they came into the SEC Championship Game and a rematch from the previous year against top-ranked Florida. This time, however, the tide had turned as the Crimson Tide walloped the Gators in a 32-13 effort to set up a date with Texas for the title.

Once in the BCS National Championship Game and after Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy was injured early on, that set up another dominant effort for Alabama as they got the title, the first since Gene Stallings won in 1992.

The historical significance of the first championship under Saban aside, the 2009 season was special all around. It also featured the first Heisman winner in Alabama football history as running back Mark Ingram captured the award. Taking everything into account, including staying perfect amidst a bear of a schedule and the 2009 Crimson Tide is the best in program history.

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