The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
in the
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
. It was the Crimson Tide's 115th overall season, 76th season as a member of the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
(SEC) and its 18th within the SEC
Western Division. The team was led by head coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
, in his third year, and played their home games at
Bryant–Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium is an outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It is the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Open ...
in
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. They finished the season undefeated with a record of 14–0 (8–0 in the SEC) and as national champions.
Looking to build on the successes of the 2008 campaign, Alabama entered the 2009 season as the favorite to win the Western Division and meet the
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
in the
2009 SEC Championship Game. Alabama closed the regular season with a 12–0 record including four wins against Top 25-ranked teams—and met the
Gators for the SEC Championship in a rematch of the
2008 contest. Alabama was victorious by a final score of 32–13. The following day, final
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
(BCS) standings were unveiled. No. 1 ranked Alabama would meet No. 2 ranked
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
for the BCS National Championship. In the
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college fo ...
, the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 37–21 to capture their first-ever BCS Championship. With the 14-0 record, they became only the 3rd team in college football history to accomplish this feat, behind the
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes and the
2009 Boise State Broncos (who completed the feat three days earlier in the
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
).
Alabama earned their third SEC championship since the inception of the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
in 1992, and their 22nd SEC title. The victory over Texas gave Alabama their 13th national championship in football (their eighth wire service title since the AP Poll began in 1936) and their ninth
perfect season
A perfect season is a sports season, including any requisite playoff portion, in which a team remains and finishes undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the ...
since 1925. The season included victories over the previous three national champions: Florida, Louisiana State University (LSU), and Texas.
The season marked the first time a player for Alabama won the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
:
Mark Ingram II
Mark Valentino Ingram II (born December 21, 1989) is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the first Alabama player to win the Heis ...
won the award over
Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
running back
Toby Gerhart
Tobin Bo Gunnar Gerhart (born March 28, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Stanford University, and was a unanimous ...
. Other award winners included Rolando McClain, who won the
Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
and the
Jack Lambert Award, and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who won the
Broyles Award
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...
as the nation's top assistant coach. Also, six players were named to various
All-America Teams with
Terrence Cody
Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr. (born June 28, 1988) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the University of Alabama.. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and pla ...
,
Mike Johnson, and
Javier Arenas being consensus selections and Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections.
Before the season
During the 2008–2009 campaign, the Crimson Tide completed a perfect 12–0 regular season record with wins over No. 9
Clemson, No. 3
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, longtime rival
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, No. 16
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, and in-state rival
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
to end a six-game
losing streak
''Losing Streak'' is the second studio album by ska punk band Less Than Jake, released on November 12, 1996 on Capitol Records. The album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida and Mirror Image Studios in Gainesville, Florida, bo ...
in the
Iron Bowl
The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferenc ...
.
The Tide went on to lose their final two games in the postseason to end the season 12–2. They lost to the
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
(31–20) in the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
, and to the
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. The athletic department is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the Runnin' ...
(31–17) in the
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
.
Alabama reached No. 1 in the
AP and
Coaches' Polls for the first time since the final polls in
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
and during the regular season for the first time since
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
between weeks ten and fourteen.
The Tide reached No. 1 in the
BCS rankings
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
for the first time in school history between weeks ten and fourteen.
The team finished the 2008 season with a final ranking of No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls.
In February 2009, Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 2 recruiting class according to Scout.
Spring practice began on March 13 and concluded with the annual
A-Day game on April 18.
Televised live by ESPN, the Crimson team defeated the White team by a score of 14–7 before 84,050 fans in Bryant–Denny Stadium. Greg McElroy and Marquis Maze were named co-MVPs of the game.
On June 11, 2009, the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Committee on Infractions sanctioned Alabama for "major violations" of NCAA policies as a result of athletes who received improper benefits in 16 of 19 NCAA sports, including football.
As a penalty, the football program was forced to vacate 21 victories from the
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
,
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, and
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
seasons in addition to being placed on three years probation, ending in June 2012.
The university stated that none of the textbooks or materials identified in the investigation were used for profit, and that the athletes involved who still had eligibility remaining were to pay restitution for the additional materials identified as part of the inquiry.
Alabama appealed the ruling to the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee in late June, but was unsuccessful; the Committee upheld the sanctions in March 2010.
During SEC Media Days in July, voters selected Alabama and Florida to again win their divisions, with 63 of 64 ballots choosing Florida to win the SEC Championship Game.
Voters selected Julio Jones, Mike Johnson, Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas (as a defensive back), and Leigh Tiffin to the Preseason All-SEC First Team and selected Mark Ingram II and Arenas (as a return specialist) to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team.
By August, Alabama had 19 players on 11 different preseason award watch lists.
These included Cody and McClain for the
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ame ...
; Jones for the
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
; Dont’a Hightower and McClain for the
Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
; Leigh Tiffin for the
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
; Cody, Hightower, Mike Johnson, and McClain for the
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lomba ...
; Cody and McClain for the
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize th ...
; Jones for the
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
; Javier Arenas, Cody, and McClain for the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
; Cody and Johnson for the
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...
; Arenas for the
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Paycom ...
; and Mark Ingram II for the
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
.
Returning starters
Alabama had 16 returning starters from the previous season,
including eight on defense, four on offense, and all of the special teams.
The most notable departures from the previous year were
Andre Smith,
Antoine Caldwell
Antoine Caldwell (born April 19, 1986) is a former American football center and guard. He played college football for the University of Alabama, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2 ...
, and Marlon Davis on the
offensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
;
John Parker Wilson at
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
;
Glen Coffee
Glenwood Razeem Coffee Jr. (born May 1, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft and played one season before retiring from football in 2010 and servin ...
at
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
; and
Rashad Johnson at
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
.
Defense
Offense
Special teams
Recruiting class
Alabama's
recruiting class was highlighted by seven players from the "
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
150": No. 4 Dre Kirkpatrick (CB); No. 6 Trent Richardson (RB); No. 12 D.J. Fluker (OT); No. 20 Nico Johnson (ILB); No. 36 A. J. McCarron (QB); No. 65 Kendall Kelly (WR); No. 110 Tana Patrick (OLB); No. 142 Petey Smith (ILB); and No. 143 Eddie Lacy (RB).
Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No. 2 recruiting class according to Scout.
The football program received 29
letters of intent
A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...
on
National Signing Day
National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school that is a member of the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association ( ...
, February 4, 2009.
Schedule
The
Sagarin computer ratings calculated Alabama's
strength of schedule In sports, strength of schedule (SOS) refers to the difficulty or ease of a team's/person's opponent as compared to other teams/persons. This is especially important if teams in a league do not play each other the same number of times.
Computation ...
to be the most difficult out of the 245
Division I teams. The Congrove Computer Rankings also calculated it as the most difficult out of the 120
Division I FBS
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...
teams in its rankings. Alabama's 2009 schedule was officially released on December 19, 2008.
In accordance with conference rules, Alabama faced all five
Western Division opponents:
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
,
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
,
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
,
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
, and
Ole Miss. They also faced three Eastern Division opponents:
official SEC rival Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, and
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Alabama did not play SEC opponents
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Vanderbilt.
Although not on the regular season schedule, Bama met
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
in the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama also played five non-conference games. For the season opener, the Tide played in the
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United ...
against
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
at the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
The non-conference schedule also included games against
Florida International and
North Texas
North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...
of the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
and
UT-Chattanooga of the
Football Championship Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...
(FCS).
For the
2010 BCS National Championship Game, Alabama played
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
for the first time since the
1982 Cotton Bowl Classic.
:Source: Rolltide.com All-time Football Results: 2009 Season
Roster
Depth chart
Starters and backups.
Coaching staff
Prior to the 2009 season, Alabama made several changes to its coaching staff. Alabama lost their defensive head coach,
Kevin Steele
Kevin Steele (born March 17, 1958) is an American football coach and former player, currently serving as the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami. Steele has previously worked as defensive coordinator at Auburn, LSU, Clemson, and c ...
, on January 10, 2009, when he was hired as defensive coordinator for
Clemson, and their linebacker coach Lance Thompson on January 16, when he was hired as linebacker coach by
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
.
The following week, Saban named Sal Sunseri from the
NFL's
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
as his team's new assistant head and linebacker coach, and James Willis from
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
as the new associate head and linebacker coach.
Game summaries
Virginia Tech
Sources:
After defeating
Clemson in the inaugural
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United ...
, Alabama announced in December 2008 they would return for the 2009 edition against the
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 va ...
.
The Tide dominated play for most of the game, outgaining Tech in total offense by 498 yards to 155, but mistakes, penalties, and poor play by the special teams allowed the Hokies to hang on until 18 fourth-quarter points sealed the 34–24 Alabama victory.
Bama scored first with field goals of 49 and 34 yards from Leigh Tiffin to take an early 6–0 lead.
The Hokies responded with a 98-yard Dyrell Roberts
kickoff return
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in gridiron football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team". The receiving team is then entitled to ''return' ...
for a touchdown to give Tech a 7–6 lead.
Following the recovery of a
Ryan Williams fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
by Brian Selman deep in Hokie territory, the Tide retook the lead 9–7 on a 32-yard Tiffin field goal.
Early in the second quarter, Antoine Hopkins intercepted a Greg McElroy pass. On the ensuing possession, Tech led 10–9 after a successful 28-yard Matt Waldron field goal.
Alabama responded by driving 76 yards for a touchdown and a 16–10 lead, with the big plays coming on a 14-yard run by Mark Ingram II, passes of 16 and 10 yards from McElroy to Julio Jones and the score coming on a 19-yard Roy Upchurch run.
On the next Virginia Tech possession, three personal fouls and a
pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, ...
penalty carried the Hokies downfield with Williams scoring on a one-yard touchdown run.
The score remained 17–16 at the half after Tiffin missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter.
In the third quarter Roy Upchurch fumbled the ball at the Tech nine after a long run, negating the lone scoring opportunity for either team in the third quarter.
Still down by a point in the fourth quarter, McElroy hit Marquis Maze for a 48-yard completion to the Virginia Tech six-yard line, and Ingram scored a touchdown on the next play.
A successful
two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
pass from McElroy to
Colin Peek
Colin Davis Peek (born June 4, 1986) is a former American football tight end. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology before transferring to the University of Alabama. Peek signed a free agent contract after going undrafted, due to an inj ...
gave Alabama a 24–17 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Davon Morgan
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
d and Chris Rogers recovered for the Tide at the Tech 21.
The following Alabama drive stalled at the 3, but Tiffin's fourth field goal made the score 27–17.
Poor kickoff coverage and penalties set up a 32-yard Williams that run cut the lead to 27–24 late in the fourth quarter.
Alabama quickly struck back as Ingram rushed for 39 yards, McElroy completed a 19-yard pass to Peek, and then threw to Ingram for an 18-yard touchdown and a 34–24 lead.
The Hokies never threatened to score again and Alabama won its opener, 34–24.
Ingram led the Tide with 150 yards rushing on 26 carries and a pair of touchdowns, and he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Hokies to 11–1.
Florida International
Sources:
![FIU Bama kickoff 2009-09-12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/FIU_Bama_kickoff_2009-09-12.jpg)
The
Golden Panthers of
Florida International proved a tougher opponent than Alabama expected in the first half. However, the Tide pulled away with a 40–14 victory in the 2009 home opener.
Alabama opened the scoring with a 23-yard
Leigh Tiffin
Van Leigh Tiffin, Jr. (born August 3, 1988) is a former American football kicker. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Alabama. Named for his father, he is called Leigh to distin ...
field goal followed by a 24-yard Greg McElroy touchdown pass to Mike McCoy, which gave Bama a 10–0 lead.
FIU followed the McElroy touchdown with
T. Y. Hilton returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards, bringing the score to 10–7.
Bama responded with a 29-yard Tiffin field goal to extend the lead to 13–7 early in the second quarter; the following kickoff was booted out of bounds, which set up the Golden Panthers at the 40.
The ensuing 60-yard drive resulted in a 9-yard Paul McCall touchdown pass to
Greg Ellingson
Greg Ellingson (born December 30, 1988) is an American professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at FIU Golden Panthers football, Florida International ...
that gave FIU a 14–13 lead.
Bama responded with a 64-yard drive culminating with a two-yard Mark Ingram II touchdown run to put Bama up 20–14 at the half.
Trent Richardson
Trenton Jamond Richardson (born July 10, 1990) is an American football running back for the Caudillos de Chihuahua of Fútbol Americano de México. He played college football for the University of Alabama, was recognized as an All-American, an ...
continued the Alabama scoring in the third quarter with a nine-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 26–14.
A 46-yard punt return by Javier Arenas set up Richardson's second score on a 35-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Alabama led 33–14.
Terry Grant scored the Tide's final points with a 42-yard touchdown run to bring the final score to 40–14.
Alabama outgained FIU 516–214 in total offense and 275–1 in rushing offense.
Greg McElroy set an all-time Alabama record by completing 14 consecutive pass attempts and was 18–24 for 241 yards and a touchdown.
For his 113-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance, Richardson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Golden Panthers to 2–0.
North Texas
Sources:
Alabama's second consecutive matchup with a
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — des ...
opponent on the season resulted in its second consecutive victory, as the Tide defeated the
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green (formerly North Texas Eagles) represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in intercollegiate athletics. The teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Texas competed in th ...
53–7.
Greg McElroy opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run followed by a 34-yard touchdown pass to
Marquis Maze
Tyran Marquis Maze (born March 2, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played for The University of Alabama from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, he became the lead receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner for Alabama.
Early years ...
to take a 14–0 first quarter lead.
The Tide continued the scoring in the second quarter, with touchdowns on a one-yard Trent Richardson run and a 29-yard McElroy pass to Mark Ingram II followed with a 35-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal. This gave Alabama a 30–0 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Bama extended their lead to 44–0 following touchdown runs of five and one yard respectively from Ingram and Terry Grant.
After North Texas reached the end zone on a 34-yard Nathan Tune touchdown pass to
Lance Dunbar
Lance Dunbar, Jr. (born January 25, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football at University of North Texas and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
Early years
Dunbar was born i ...
, Alabama closed the game with ten fourth-quarter points on a 20-yard Tiffin field goal and 9-yard Grant touchdown run.
Alabama outgained the Mean Green 523–187 in yards of total offense.
It was the most points for Alabama in a game since beating
Texas-El Paso 56–7 in
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
and the most scored at Bryant–Denny since defeating
Tulane
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...
62–0 in
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
.
By completing of 13 of 15 passes, McElroy tied a school record with an overall completion percentage of 86.7.
The game was notable for McElroy as the North Texas head coach,
Todd Dodge
Todd Russell Dodge (born July 21, 1963) is an American football coach and former player, and recently retired head coach at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin where he played quarterba ...
, was his high school head coach when McElroy led
Southlake Carroll to the 2005 Texas Class 5A high school football championship.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Mean Green to 3–0.
Arkansas
Sources:
In
Bobby Petrino
Robert Patrick Petrino (born March 10, 1961) is an American football coach. He currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator for the Texas A&M Aggies. He is the former head coach for the Missouri State Bears. Previously, he served as the head coa ...
's first visit to Tuscaloosa as a head coach, Alabama opened
conference play by defeating the
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (ori ...
35–7.
After a scoreless first quarter, two big touchdown plays, a 52-yard run by Trent Richardson and a 50-yard pass from Greg McElroy to Julio Jones, had the Tide up 14–0 at the half.
Arkansas responded early in the third quarter and cut the lead to 14–7 after
Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett (born June 5, 1988) is a former American football quarterback who is currently the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. He played college football at Arkansas, and was drafted by the New England P ...
hit Greg Childs for an 18-yard touchdown reception; the Hogs would not reach the end zone again as the Tide responded with three unanswered touchdowns.
Bama scored first on an 80-yard touchdown pass from McElroy to Marquis Maze followed with two touchdowns by Mark Ingram II, one on a 14-yard pass from McElroy and one on a 2-yard run, bringing the final score to 35–7.
Alabama outgained the Razorbacks 425–254 in yards of total offense.
McElroy threw for career highs of 291 yards and three touchdowns.
For his 65-yard, nine-carry, one-touchdown performance, Richardson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks to 10–8 (13–7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Kentucky
Sources:
In Alabama's first trip to
Lexington since
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, and their first
road game
A road game or away game is a sports game where the specified team is not the host and must travel to another venue. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions. Each team ...
of the 2009 season, the Tide defeated the
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
38–20.
Alabama scored on their opening drive after Javier Arenas returned the opening kickoff 60 yards, which set up an 11-yard Mark Ingram touchdown for an early 7–0 lead.
Kentucky responded with a pair of 49-yard Lones Seiber field goals. The score was 7–6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tide extended their lead late in the second quarter following a nearly seven-minute, 13-play, 97-yard touchdown drive. Greg McElroy passes of 27 and 21 yards and a 13-yard run by Ingram moved Bama down the field, culminating with a three-yard touchdown pass from McElroy to
Colin Peek
Colin Davis Peek (born June 4, 1986) is a former American football tight end. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology before transferring to the University of Alabama. Peek signed a free agent contract after going undrafted, due to an inj ...
to put the Tide up 14–6.
With only 40 seconds remaining in the half, Kentucky
tailback Derrick Locke fumbled the ball after catching a short pass.
Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Tremaine Upshaw (born December 13, 1989) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.
High school career
Upshaw a ...
returned 45 yards for an Alabama touchdown that put the Tide ahead 21–6 at halftime.
On the second play of the third quarter,
Rolando McClain
Rolando Marquise McClain (born July 14, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Alabama, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and won the 2010 BCS National Championship. He was selected eig ...
intercepted a
Mike Hartline pass, giving Alabama possession at the Wildcat 38.
Two plays later Ingram scored on a 32-yard run, making the score 28–6.
Following an Eryk Anders interception that set up a 36-yard
Leigh Tiffin
Van Leigh Tiffin, Jr. (born August 3, 1988) is a former American football kicker. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Alabama. Named for his father, he is called Leigh to distin ...
field goal, the Wildcats reached the end zone for the first time on the ensuing drive. Hartline connected with
Randall Cobb for a 45-yard touchdown reception in bringing the score to 31–13.
The Tide responded with a 7-yard Darius Hanks touchdown reception to complete a 13-play, 76-yard drive.
Kentucky scored the afternoon's final points in the fourth quarter on a two-yard Alfonso Smith touchdown run. The final score was 38–20.
Kentucky's four turnovers sabotaged an effort that was better than any other of Alabama's previous opponents, as the Wildcats gained 301 yards in total offense and held Alabama to 352.
McElroy threw for two touchdowns, giving him nine on the season against only one interception, and Ingram rushed for 140 yards on 22 carries.
For his 12 tackles (8 solo), one interception, one forced fumble and one pass break-up, McClain was named both the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Bronko Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Wildcats to 35–2–1.
Ole Miss
Sources:
Before the largest crowd to ever witness a game in
Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
Vaught–Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field is an outdoor athletic stadium located in University, Mississippi, United States (although it has an Oxford address). The stadium serves as the home for the University of Mississippi Rebels colle ...
, Alabama defeated their
long-time rival, the
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels are the 18 men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that are funded by and represent the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford. The first was the football team, which began play in 1893.
Originally known as th ...
, 22–3.
Alabama struggled to put the ball in the end zone all afternoon with drives stalled at the Mississippi 8, 4, 4, 4, and 13.
Each of those drives resulted in a field goal by Leigh Tiffin, who was 5 for 5 on the day.
Other special teams contributions included a blocked punt in the second quarter and a recovered
Dexter McCluster
Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and also ...
fumble on a punt return in the third quarter, both by
Cory Reamer.
McElroy struggled, completing only 15 of 34 passes for 147 yards, but Mark Ingram II ran for a then career-high 172 yards and accounted for Alabama's only touchdown on a 36-yard run in the second quarter.
The Alabama defense had an excellent day, with Javier Arenas,
Kareem Jackson, Rolando McClain, and Cory Reamer each intercepting a
Jevan Snead
Jevan Bryce Snead (September 2, 1987 – September 21, 2019) was an American football quarterback. He played college football at Mississippi after Colt McCoy won the starting quarterback position over him for the Texas Longhorns football team. ...
pass.
Overall, the Tide held the Rebels to 212 yards of total offense and a single Joshua Shene field goal in the third quarter.
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
William Vlachos was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week and Tiffin was named the Lou Groza Award "Star of Stars" for his five field goal performance.
The victory was the team's sixth in a row over the Rebels and improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss to 43–9–2.
South Carolina
Sources:
In South Carolina's first trip to Bryant–Denny since
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, the Tide defeated the
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
20–6 on
homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
in Tuscaloosa.
On the second play from the start of the game, Mark Barron intercepted a
Stephen Garcia
Stephen Glenn Garcia (born February 15, 1988) is a former collegiate American football quarterback for the University of South Carolina. Garcia had a 20–14 record as a starter for the Gamecocks. He completed 7,597 passing yards including 47 t ...
pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown and a 7–0 Alabama lead.
Greg McElroy struggled; he threw a pair of first-quarter interceptions on Bama's first two offensive possessions.
South Carolina's C.C. Whitlock fumbled the ball on the return of the second interception and possession was recovered by Darius Hanks.
The Tide continued its drive to the Gamecock 8, and Leigh Tiffin kicked a field goal to put Alabama ahead 10–0.
Following a failed 49-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal attempt in the second quarter, South Carolina answered by driving to the Alabama five-yard line. However, the Bama defense held the Gamecock offense to three consecutive
incompletions; the result was a 22-yard
Spencer Lanning
Spencer Davis Lanning (born May 21, 1988) is a former American football punter who played three years in the National Football League (NFL), almost exclusively with the Cleveland Browns. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free a ...
field goal to make the score 10–3.
On the following possession, Mark Ingram II ran 54 yards to the South Carolina 28. The drive stalled at the 17 and Tiffin's field goal made it 13–3.
South Carolina responded with a quick drive that ended with a 31-yard Lanning field goal as time expired in the first half with the score 13–6.
After a scoreless third quarter, with 8:08 to go, Alabama took possession at its own 32 following a Gamecock punt.
Taking direct snaps out of the
wildcat formation
Wildcat formation describes a formation for the offense in football in which the ball is snapped not to the quarterback but directly to a player of another position lined up at the quarterback position. (In most systems, this is a running back, b ...
, Ingram rushed for 64 yards on five carries, then took a pitch from Greg McElroy for the last four yards and the touchdown, sealing Alabama's 20–6 victory.
The Alabama offense turned the ball over four times in this game after committing only two turnovers in the first six games. Mark Ingram's 246 yards rushing marked his third consecutive career-high effort and the third highest single game total in Alabama history.
For their performances, Ingram was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and Rolando McClain was named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Gamecocks to 10–3 (12–2 before NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Tennessee
Sources:
![Alabama vs Tennessee 2009-10-24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Alabama_vs_Tennessee_2009-10-24.jpg)
This edition of the
Third Saturday in October
The Third Saturday in October is the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. The respect ...
was a defensive struggle with a surprise finish as the Crimson Tide defeated the
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity college athletics, intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in NCAA Division I, ...
12–10.
In a defensive struggle for both teams, Leigh Tiffin was 4 for 4 on field goals and accounted for all of Alabama's scoring.
With the Tennessee defense stopping the Tide on consecutive drives, Alabama's defense responded with Mark Barron intercepting a
Jonathan Crompton pass at the Bama 19 in the first quarter.
The ensuing drive resulted in a 38-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal and a 3–0 lead.
The Vols responded with a 24-yard Daniel Lincoln field goal that tied the game 3–3.
Tiffin hit field goals of 50 and 22 yards before Lincoln missed a 47-yard attempt at the end of the first half just short, leaving the score 9–3 at halftime.
After a scoreless third, in the fourth Tennessee drove to the Alabama 27, but
Terrence Cody
Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr. (born June 28, 1988) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the University of Alabama.. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and pla ...
blocked Lincoln's field goal.
On the ensuing possession, Tiffin hit a 49-yard field goal to bring the score to 12–3.
Late in the fourth, Mark Ingram II lost a fumble for the first time in his collegiate career, giving Tennessee possession at the Alabama 43 with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Vols drove the ball 43 yards in 2:10, culminating with an 11-yard Crompton touchdown pass to Gerald Jones to cut the gap to 12–10.
The Vols followed with a successful
onside kick
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...
attempt and regained possession of the ball at their own 41-yard line.
After Tennessee was penalized five yards for a false start, Crompton completed a pass to
Luke Stocker
Lucas Aaron Stocker (July 17, 1988) is an American football tight end and fullback who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL D ...
for 23 yards, to the Bama 27-yard line.
With the clock ticking off the final seconds and Tennessee out of time outs, Crompton
spiked the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left. This set up Lincoln for a 45-yard field goal attempt to win the game.
However, Terrence Cody knocked his blocker over and broke through the line. He blocked Lincoln's field goal as time expired, preserving Alabama's 12–10 victory and perfect season.
For their performances, Cody was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and Tiffin was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
LSU
Sources:
![Bama-LSU action1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Bama-LSU_action1.jpg)
With the SEC West divisional championship on the line, Alabama defeated their
long-time rival the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
24–15 to secure a spot in the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
.
Following a scoreless first quarter, LSU took possession on its own 9 on the last play of the first quarter and embarked on a 13-play, 91-yard drive that ended in a 12-yard touchdown pass from
Jordan Jefferson
Jordan Jamal Jefferson (born August 25, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Jefferson played college football for the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Con ...
to Deangelo Peterson and a 7–0 lead.
Javier Arenas returned the ensuing punt 40 yards to the Alabama 49, and the Tide drove to the LSU 11 before settling for a 28-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal that made the score 7–3.
Neither team could mount a sustained drive for the rest of the half.
At the start of the second half Alabama received the kickoff, took possession at its own 19, and started getting the ball to Mark Ingram II.
On the drive, Ingram was responsible for a 12-yard reception from Greg McElroy and rushes of 4, 12, 12, and 18 yards that advanced the ball to the Tiger 23.
Two plays later, McElroy hit Darius Hanks for his first touchdown pass since the Kentucky game, and Alabama was up 10–7.
The ensuing LSU drive stalled at the Tide 46. The LSU punt was downed at the Alabama 1-yard line.
Two plays later McElroy was sacked for a
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
, making the score 10–9.
LSU returned the free kick to its own 41 and drove 59 yards for the touchdown, the big play coming on a 34-yard run by
Charles Scott.
The
two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
attempt failed, leaving the score 15–10 in favor of LSU.
Alabama received the kickoff and again relied on Ingram: seven Ingram rushes for 48 yards accounted for most of the offense on a drive that ended with a 20-yard Tiffin field goal, making the score 15–13.
Following a LSU
three and out
''Three and Out'' is a 2008 British black comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield and starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Gemma Arterton, Imelda Staunton, and Kerry Katona. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in ...
, Alabama took possession on its own 27-yard line.
On first down, McElroy completed a screen pass to Julio Jones which Jones turned into a 73-yard touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, Alabama led 21–15.
LSU went three and out again. A methodical 11-play, 31-yard Alabama drive consumed 6:14 of game time and ended in a 40-yard Tiffin field goal with 3:04 left to seal a 24–15 Alabama victory.
Alabama won the SEC Western Division championship and clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game against Florida, which clinched the East that same day with a 27–3 victory over
Vanderbilt.
Ingram rushed for 144 yards and Jones had 102 receiving yards.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 45–23–5.
Mississippi State
Sources:
Playing in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a game in
Davis Wade Stadium
Davis Wade Stadium, officially known as Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field is the home venue for the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team. Originally constructed in 1914 as New Athletic Field, it is the second-oldest stadium in the Football Bow ...
, and with the Bulldogs wearing black jerseys for the first time in their history, Alabama cruised to a 31–3 victory over
long-time rival Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
.
After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored a pair of touchdowns in the second to take a 14–0 lead.
The first touchdown came on a 45-yard Darius Hanks reception from Greg McElroy and the second on a 1-yard Mark Ingram run.
After a 39-yard field goal by Leigh Tiffin extended the lead to 17–0 in the third, the Bulldogs scored their only points of the night on a 34-yard Derek DePasquale field goal.
On the ensuing kickoff, Javier Arenas returned the ball 46 yards and on the next play, McElroy hit Julio Jones for a 48-yard touchdown reception. The score was 24–3.
Mark Barron intercepted a Tyson Lee pass at the Alabama 30 on the next Bulldog offensive series.
On the following play, Ingram scored a touchdown on a 70-yard run to bring the final score to 31–3.
For the game, McElroy threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 13 of 18 passing, and Mark Ingram II rushed for 149 yards two touchdowns.
Mississippi State was held to 213 total yards, with Barron intercepting two Tyson Lee and
Marquis Johnson intercepting one Chris Relf pass.
For his performance, left guard
Mike Johnson was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 73–18–3 (72–19–3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Chattanooga
Sources:
![Javier Arenas punt return](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Javier_Arenas_punt_return.jpg)
On senior day in Tuscaloosa, Alabama dipped down to college football's
Football Championship Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...
and defeated the Mocs of
UT-Chattanooga 45–0.
After being stopped on their first possession, Alabama reached the end zone on the next five consecutive possessions in running up a 35–0 lead in the first half.
First-quarter touchdowns included a 2-yard Trent Richardson run, a 25-yard Mark Ingram II run, and a 19-yard Julio Jones reception from Greg McElroy.
In the second quarter, touchdowns were scored by Javier Arenas on a 66-yard punt return and on a 40-yard Ingram run.
With the only third quarter points coming on a 41-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal, Bama's final points of the afternoon came on a 21-yard Roy Upchurch touchdown run in the fourth.
Javier Arenas set the all-time SEC record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown and was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Mark Ingram II led the offense with 102 yards and two touchdowns before being pulled early in the second quarter.
Alabama outgained Chattanooga in total offense 422–84 and recorded their first defensive
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
since defeating
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
36–0 in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Mocs to 11–0.
Auburn
Sources:
One year after Alabama's 36–0 victory in Tuscaloosa, the 2009
Iron Bowl
The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferenc ...
contest against the
Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
ended with a 26–21 Tide victory and a 12–0 regular season.
The Tigers, who entered the game 7–4 and unranked, took the ball after Alabama's initial three and out and struck quickly. On Auburn's fourth play from scrimmage, Terrell Zachery raced 67 yards on a
reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
for a touchdown and a 7–0 Auburn lead.
The run was the longest allowed by the Tide since a 70-yard run by Arkansas'
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...
in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
.
Auburn then successfully executed an onside kick and retained possession of the ball.
After the onside kick, Auburn drove 58 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown pass from
Chris Todd
Christopher Richard Todd (born 22 August 1981) is a Welsh retired footballer who played as a defender and current assistant manager of Yeovil Town.
Playing career Swansea City
Born in Swansea, Todd began his career as a trainee with his home ...
to Eric Smith.
The Crimson Tide, which had never trailed in a game by more than seven points all season, found itself down 14–0 before the first quarter was over.
Early in the second quarter Alabama completed a 10-play, 58-yard drive by scoring on a two-yard run by backup tailback Trent Richardson. The key plays were a 15-yard pass from McElroy to Darius Hanks and a 13-yard pass from McElroy to Richardson.
After an exchange of punts gave Alabama good starting position at the Auburn 45, the Tide quickly struck again with McElroy hitting tight end Colin Peek on a 33-yard touchdown pass that left the game tied 14–14 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Auburn scored on another quick strike. The Tigers took possession on their 24 after a Bama punt;
Kodi Burns
Kodi Burns (born December 24, 1988) is an American football coach who is the wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the wide receivers coach at the University of Tennessee and A ...
rushed for four yards, and then Todd hit
Darvin Adams
Darvin Adams (born January 5, 1990) is an American professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Adams is a two-time CFL champion, winning the 107th Grey Cup and 108th Grey Cup by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in both g ...
on a 72-yard completion that put Auburn back in front 21–14.
The completion marked the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Bama defense all season and the longest pass play since
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
.
Javier Arenas gave Alabama an opportunity by returning the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Auburn 45, but Mark Ingram, who struggled the entire game, rushed for 7 yards and 2 yards and then was held for no gain on both third and one and fourth and one, and Alabama turned the ball over on downs.
Auburn went three and out and punted, and Arenas set the Tide up again, returning the punt 56 yards to the Auburn 33-yard line.
Alabama drove to the Auburn 10 before settling for a Leigh Tiffin field goal that cut the deficit to 21–17.
Alabama kicked off and two plays later, Auburn quarterback Todd threw an interception that gave Alabama possession at the Auburn 43. The Tide drove to the Tigers' 13 before this drive also stalled, forcing another Leigh Tiffin field goal that made the score 21–20.
As the third quarter ended, Auburn continued to hang on to a one-point lead.
Neither team could make progress with possessions early in the fourth quarter, and after an exchange of punts, Alabama got the ball on its own 21 with 8:27 to go, and began what would soon be known as "The Drive".
Richardson opened with a 7-yard rush, and on third and three, McElroy completed a nine-yard pass to Julio Jones for a first down.
Three plays later, on third and five, McElroy completed a six-yard pass to Jones for another first down and advancing the ball to the Tide 48.
Two plays later, on second and eight, a third pass from McElroy to Jones for 11 yards led to a third first down.
Two plays after that, a fourth pass from McElroy to Jones and a fourth first down at the Auburn 28-yard line.
On second and nine at the Auburn 27, McElroy chose a different target, hitting Richardson for a first down to the Auburn 11-yard line. After a four-yard run by Richardson to the Auburn 7, the Tigers called time out with 1:34 left.
Richardson took the ball three more yards to the Auburn 4, leaving the Tide at third and three. Each team called a time out in succession with 1:29 left.
Alabama's offensive coaches called for a running play, but head coach Nick Saban, unwilling to settle for a field goal, overruled this decision and demanded a pass.
McElroy completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to third-string tailback
Roy Upchurch, giving Alabama a 26–21 lead with 1:24 to go.
McElroy had completed seven consecutive passes on The Drive after missing his first.
A two-point conversion attempt failed and the lead was five points.
Auburn took possession at the 25 following the kickoff and took 1:14 to run four plays and advance the ball to its own 46 with ten seconds to go. Todd completed a 17-yard pass to Darvin Adams at the Alabama 37, and after spiking the ball, Todd's last pass fell incomplete and the game was over.
Alabama had survived, beating Auburn 26–21 despite being outgained 332 yards to 291 and being held to only 73 yards rushing.
Florida
Sources:
Alabama faced Florida in the SEC Championship Game in a rematch of the
2008 contest, with the Tide capturing their 22nd conference championship following their 32–13 victory over the Gators.
The Tide struck first, driving 47 yards with the opening possession before Leigh Tiffin kicked a 48-yard field goal and a 3–0 lead.
Following a Florida three and out on their first possession, Alabama responded with an 8-play, 76-yard touchdown drive.
On the drive, Greg McElroy completed key passes to Colin Peek and Marquis Maze and Mark Ingram II rushed for 37 yards and the touchdown in taking a 9–0 lead following a missed
extra point
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
.
On the ensuing possession,
Caleb Sturgis
Caleb James Sturgis (born August 9, 1989) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football at Florida, setting team records for field goals completed in a season and a career, and was recognized as an All-American. He was ...
hit a 48-yard field goal that made the score 9–3 at the end of the first quarter.
Alabama scored first in the second quarter on a 34-yard Tiffin field goal to complete a 68-yard drive and extend the Bama lead to 12–3.
Florida followed with what turned out to be its only touchdown drive of the game. Rushes of 23 yards and 15 yards from quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner
Tim Tebow were followed by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to
David Nelson, and Florida had cut the lead to two, 12–10.
On the next offensive play, Ingram took a short pass from McElroy and raced 69 yards to the Gator 3-yard line, and ran it in for a touchdown from three yards out on the next play.
The Gators ended the first half with a 32-yard Sturgis field goal to make the halftime score 19–13.
Florida opened the third quarter with a three and out.
On the Tide's first offensive series of the second half, McElroy completed a 28-yard pass to Maze and was followed with a 15-yard personal foul penalty in bringing the ball into the red zone.
On the next play McElroy completed the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colin Peek. Alabama took a 26–13 lead.
Florida got one first down on its next possession before punting the ball to Alabama.
Taking the ball at its own 12-yard line with 7:36 to go in the third quarter, Alabama held the ball for the rest of the quarter and into the fourth, using up 8:47 of game time on a 12-play, 88-yard drive.
Ingram, who rushed for 37 yards on the drive, scored on a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to increase Bama's lead to 32–13.
Florida mounted a late drive that reached the Alabama 6 before Tebow threw an interception to Javier Arenas in the end zone.
On Florida's next possession, the Gators turned the ball over on downs at the Alabama 13, and the Tide was able to run out the clock to secure the 32–13 victory.
For his 239-yard, one touchdown passing performance, Greg McElroy was named the game's MVP.
Ingram rushed for 113 and Trent Richardson rushed for 80 yards.
The victory gave Alabama its 22nd SEC title, their third since the inception of the Championship Game and their first in ten years—the longest time the Crimson Tide program has ever gone without an SEC championship.
The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Gators to 20–14 (21–14 without the NCAA vacation of the 2005 victory).
Alabama earned their third SEC championship since the inception of the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
in 1992, and their 22nd SEC title.
Texas
Sources:
![2010 BCS Champ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/2010_BCS_Champ.jpg)
Following victories in their respective conference championship games, on December 6 the final
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
(BCS) standings were unveiled, pitting the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide against the No. 2 ranked
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
for the 2010 BCS National Championship.
The game was held in the
Rose Bowl, although it was not the actual
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2. The Rose ...
, in which
Ohio State beat Oregon six days earlier. Alabama came into the game having never beaten
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, compiling an all-time 0–7–1 record against the Longhorns.
Alabama won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. After losing thirteen yards on a
sack and a penalty, Nick Saban called for a
fake punt
A fake punt is a trick play in gridiron football. It involves a running or passing play run out of a punt formation.Examples include:
A fake punt can take a number of different forms. The punter may simply take the snap and look to throw a f ...
, which resulted in a Texas interception by Blake Gideon at the Alabama 37-yard line.
On the initial possession, Texas quarterback
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Longhorns football, Texas, where he won several awards and honor ...
suffered a hit from
Marcell Dareus which forced him to leave the game. Suffering from a
pinched nerve
Radiculopathy, also commonly referred to as pinched nerve, refers to a set of conditions in which one or more nerves are affected and do not work properly (a neuropathy). Radiculopathy can result in pain (radicular pain), weakness, altered sensati ...
in his throwing shoulder, McCoy did not return.
With McCoy out, freshman
Garrett Gilbert
Garrett Antone Gilbert (born July 1, 1991) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. The son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, he played college football at Texas and SMU.
Joining the NFL in 2014, Gilbert was primarily ass ...
replaced him at quarterback, and the Longhorns settled for a field goal and a 3–0 lead.
The ensuing kickoff was an onside kick, and Texas retained possession of the ball when Alabama failed to field the kick. The Longhorns only advanced the ball five yards and
Hunter Lawrence kicked another field goal to go ahead 6–0.
![2010 Alabama football AFCA National Championship Trophy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/2010_Alabama_football_AFCA_National_Championship_Trophy.JPG)
The Tide went ahead in the second quarter. Greg McElroy threw for only 58 yards on 6 of 11 passing for Alabama, but 23 of those yards came on a completion to Julio Jones that advanced the ball to the Texas 12.
Three plays later Mark Ingram II ran it in from two yards out, and Alabama went ahead 7–6.
After an exchange of punts, Bama took possession on the Texas 49-yard line, and on the second play Trent Richardson burst through a hole in the middle and raced 49 yards untouched for the touchdown, extending the lead to 14–6.
Texas continued to struggle for offense in McCoy's absence, and on the next possession a Texas drive ended when Javier Arenas intercepted a Gilbert pass at the Alabama 25.
Following a short punt late in the quarter, Bama drove to the Texas 9, and increased their lead to 17–6 following a successful 26-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal.
It appeared that the Crimson Tide would go into the locker room leading 17–6. However, after gaining nine yards on a rush up the middle, Texas called time out with 15 seconds left. With the ball at the Texas 37, Gilbert threw a shovel pass to D.J. Monroe, who bobbled the ball and batted it into the arms of Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who lumbered 28 yards for a touchdown that made the halftime score 24–6.
Having been sacked 4 times in the first half but had considerable success rushing the ball, Alabama came out rushing after halftime, attempting only two passes in the 3rd quarter.
Meanwhile, Gilbert, who had struggled early in the game, started to find his rhythm, mostly due to the efforts of
Jordan Shipley
Jordan Shipley (born December 23, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. Shipley played college football for the University of Texas, and received consensus All-American recognition. He was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the t ...
, one of only two Texas receivers to catch a pass thrown beyond the line of scrimmage in the game.
A 44-yard touchdown pass from Gilbert to Shipley cut the lead to 24–13.
Early in the fourth, Leigh Tiffin missed a 52-yard field goal.
On the ensuing possession, the Longhorns drove 65 yards and scored another touchdown on a 28-yard Shipley reception.
A successful two-point conversion pulled the score to within three points, 24–21.
Following an Alabama punt, Texas gained possession on their own 7-yard line with 3:14 to go.
On the second play of the drive, Eryk Anders laid a hit on Gilbert that forced a fumble, and Alabama recovered at the Texas 3.
Three plays later Ingram, who rushed for 116 yards in the game, ran it in for the score that gave Alabama a 31–21 lead.
On the following drive, Gilbert threw a second interception to Arenas, and a Trent Richardson touchdown with 47 seconds left made the final score 37–21.
For their performances, Mark Ingram II was named the game's offensive MVP and Marcell Dareus was named defensive MVP.
Alabama beat Texas for the first time in their history, won its first ever BCS championship game, and won its first
national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
since
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
. It was Alabama's thirteenth claimed and eighth national championship by vote of the AP poll or coaches' poll, the others coming in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, and 1992, and ninth perfect season, the others coming in 1925, 1930, 1934, 1945, 1961, 1966, 1979, and 1992.
Alabama became the third school in major college history to go 14–0, joining the
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...
and the
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
Boise State Broncos
The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Moun ...
.
Rankings
Entering the 2009 season, the Crimson Tide was ranked No. 5 in the AP and Coaches' Preseason Polls.
By week seven Alabama moved into the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll and the No. 2 ranking in both the Coaches' Poll and the initial BCS rankings.
After dropping as low as No. 3, following the victory against Florida in the SEC Championship Game Alabama captured the No. 1 ranking in the AP and Coaches' Polls as well as in the final BCS rankings.
Following the victory over Texas in the BCS Championship Game, Alabama was selected a
unanimous
Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. Groups may consider unanimous decisions as a sign of social, political or procedural agreement, solidarity, and unity. Unanimity may be assumed explicitly after a unanimous vote or impl ...
No. 1 by the AP and as the No. 1 team in the Coaches' Poll.
After the season
![President Obama and the BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/President_Obama_and_the_BCS_National_Champion_Alabama_Crimson_Tide.jpg)
Following the victory against Texas for the national championship, the team arrived at the
Tuscaloosa Regional Airport on the evening of January 8. Several thousand fans were there to greet them upon their arrival.
On January 16, a public national championship celebration at Bryant–Denny Stadium was attended by well over 30,000 spectators.
Speakers at the event included head coach Nick Saban and Alabama
athletic director
An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...
Mal Moore
Mal Mathad Moore (December 19, 1939 – March 30, 2013) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Alabama from 1999 to 2013. On November 23, 1999, he was hired as ...
. All of the championship trophies were available for public viewing.
In early March, the team was invited to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, where Obama greeted the team and offered congratulatory remarks for their championship season.
For their victory, each team member and coach received three
championship ring
A championship ring or premiership ring is a ring presented to members of winning teams in North American professional sports leagues, and college tournaments.
Championship rings are mostly confined to North American sports. Since only one ...
s designed by
Jostens
Jostens is an American manufacturer of memorabilia. The company is primarily known for its production of yearbooks and class rings for various high schools and colleges as well as championship rings for sports. Jostens also produced photobook pro ...
: a university-issued title ring, a BCS issued title ring, and another for winning the SEC championship.
The rings were distributed as part of the annual A-Day weekend the following April.
Also as part of the A-Day celebrations, the 2009 team captains Javier Arenas, Rolando McClain, and Mike Johnson were honored at the Walk of Fame ceremony at the base of
Denny Chimes
Denny Chimes is a tall campanile tower on the south side of The Quad at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The tower was named in honor of George H. Denny, who served as university president from 1912 to 1936 and then again fro ...
.
As recognition for becoming the fifth
Alabama head coach to win a national championship, the University unveiled a statue of coach Saban along the Walk of Champions outside Bryant–Denny Stadium as part of A-Day festivities on April 16, 2011.
Final statistics
After their victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game, Alabama's final team statistics were released. On the defensive side of the ball, they ranked second in scoring defense (11.71 points per game), second in total defense (244.14 yards per game), second in rushing defense (78.14 yards per game) and tenth in passing defense (166.00 yards per game).
They were also the conference leaders in scoring, total and rushing defense.
On offense, nationally the Crimson Tide ranked 12th in rushing offense (215.07 yards per game), 22nd in scoring offense (32.07 points per game), 42nd in total offense (403.00 yards per game) and 92nd in passing offense (187.93 yards per game).
Individually,
Leigh Tiffin
Van Leigh Tiffin, Jr. (born August 3, 1988) is a former American football kicker. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Alabama. Named for his father, he is called Leigh to distin ...
led the SEC with an average of 2.14
field goals
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
and 9.43 points per game.
Awards
In the weeks following the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
, multiple Alabama players were recognized for their on-field performances with a variety of awards and recognitions. At the team awards banquet on December 6, Javier Arenas, Mike Johnson and Rolando McClain were each named the permanent captains of the 2009 squad.
At that time both McClain and Mark Ingram were also named the 2009 co-most valuable players with McClain and Terrence Cody named defensive players of the year and Ingram and Johnson named the offensive players of the year.
Conference
The SEC recognized several players for their individual performances with various awards. Alabama swept the three major individual awards on the AP All-SEC team, with Mark Ingram II named Offensive Player of the Year, Rolando McClain named Defensive Player of the Year, and Nick Saban named Coach of the Year.
In addition to Ingram and McClain, Javier Arenas (as a defensive back), Terrance Cody, Mike Johnson, and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All-SEC First Team.
James Carpenter, Colin Peek, and Arenas (as a return specialist) were named to the AP All-SEC Second Team.
Eight players were named to the Coaches' All-SEC First Team, including Arenas (as both a defensive back and return specialist), Mark Barron, Cody, Ingram, Mike Johnson, McClain, and Tiffin.
Julio Jones was named to the Coaches' All-SEC Second Team.
Nico Johnson, Barrett Jones, and Trent Richardson were named to the 2009 Freshman All-SEC Team.
National
After the season, a number of Alabama players were named as national award winners and finalists. Mark Ingram II became Alabama's first
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
winner
Winner(s) or The Winner(s) may refer to:
* Champion, the victor in a game or contest
*The successful social class in winner and loser culture
Film
* ''The Winner'' (1926 film), an American silent film starring Billy Sullivan
* ''The Winner'' ...
, with the closest margin of victory in the history of the award, over
Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
's
Toby Gerhart
Tobin Bo Gunnar Gerhart (born March 28, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Stanford University, and was a unanimous ...
.
Ingram was a finalist for the
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
and the
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
.
Linebacker Rolando McClain won the
Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
and the
Jack Lambert Award.
Other national award finalists included Terrence Cody (for the
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ame ...
) and Leigh Tiffin (for the
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
).
Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart won the
Broyles Award
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...
as the nation's top assistant coach.
In addition to the individual awards, several players were also named to various national
All-American Teams. Javier Arenas, Terrance Cody, Mark Ingram II, Mike Johnson, Rolando McClain, and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All-American First Team and Mark Barron was named to the AP All-American Second Team.
Cody, Ingram, Mike Johnson, and McClain were named to the Walter Camp All-American First Team. Arenas and Tiffin were named to the Walter Camp All-American Second Team.
Arenas, Ingram, Mike Johnson, and McClain were named to the AFCA All-America Team.
With their selections on various teams, Mike Johnson, Mark Ingram II, Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain and Javier Arenas were each consensus All-America, with Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections.
All-star games
Seven Alabama players were selected by postseason all-star games. Lorenzo Washington appeared in the
Texas vs. The Nation Game
Texas vs The Nation was an American college football All-star game, all-star bowl game played from 2007 to 2013. Originally played at the Sun Bowl Stadium, the format of the game pitted 50 top-rated college seniors who played college or high scho ...
.
Justin Woodall participated in the
East-West Shrine Game
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
*East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...
.
Javier Arenas, Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson, Colin Peek, and Leigh Tiffin played in the
Under Armour
Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European hea ...
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
.
NFL Draft
Of all the
draft-eligible juniors, only Rolando McClain and Kareem Jackson declared their eligibility for the 2010 NFL Draft.
Ten Alabama players, eight seniors and two juniors, were invited to the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
.
The invited Alabama players were
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
Colin Peek,
offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
Mike Johnson,
defensive linemen Terrence Cody, Brandon Deaderick and Lorenzo Washington,
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
Rolando McClain,
defensive backs
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
Javier Arenas, Kareem Jackson and Justin Woodall, and
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Spe ...
Leigh Tiffin.
In the draft, Alabama had seven players selected.
The first round selections were McClain (8th
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
) and Jackson (20th
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
); the second round picks were Arenas (50th
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
) and Cody (57th
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
); the third round pick was Mike Johnson (98th
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
); and the seventh round picks were Marquis Johnson (211th
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
) and Deaderick (247th
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
).
Both Peek and Washington, with the Atlanta Falcons and
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
respectively, signed as
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
s.
Following the
2010 season, juniors Mark Ingram II, Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus declared their eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft.
[ ] Five Alabama players, two seniors and three juniors, were invited to the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.
The invited players were offensive lineman
James Carpenter, quarterback Greg McElroy, defensive end Marcell Dareus, running back Mark Ingram II, and wide receiver Julio Jones.
In the draft, Alabama set a school record with four players selected in the first round.
The first round selections were Dareus (3rd
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
), Jones (6th Atlanta Falcons), Carpenter (25th
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
) and Ingram (28th
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
).
McElroy was selected in the seventh round (208th
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
).
Preston Dial signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in July 2011 after the
NFL labor dispute was resolved.
References
External links
{{College football national champion (championship game era) navbox
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons
BCS National Champions
Southeastern Conference football champion seasons
College football undefeated seasons
Alabama Crimson Tide football
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ...