On Nick Saban’s 75th birthday, here are 15 dominant Alabama wins that proved he’s the GOAT

Saturday is a milestone day in the lifetime of Nick Saban, so we hope you don’t thoughts if we get a bit nostalgic.

Saban was born Oct. 31, 1951 (maintain your Halloween/Prince of Darkness jokes, please), making him 75 years previous on Saturday. In different phrases, it’s the diamond anniversary of his delivery in rural West Virginia.

Saban received 297 video games throughout his illustrious school soccer teaching profession — 206 of them at Alabama from 2007-2023. As a method to commemorate this big day, we’ve determined to highlight 15 particularly dominant victories throughout his Crimson Tide tenure that cemented his standing as the GOAT amongst school soccer coaches. (We know Paul “Bear” Bryant has his supporters in that argument, however check the math.)

In compiling our record, we stayed away from video games in opposition to FCS or Group of 5 opponents, as an alternative specializing in these that had been primarily “fair fights.” We use these citation marks deliberately, as a result of even video games in opposition to SEC or different power-conference groups and/or in championship settings had been fairly often lopsided towards Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Why did we choose 15? Because Saban was too nice for 10.

Here’s our record (in chronological order):

Alabama 41, Tennessee 17 (Oct. 20, 2007)

Saban’s first season at Alabama didn’t have a ton of highlights, however this was most likely the apex second. John Parker Wilson threw three landing passes as the Crimson Tide pantsed Phillip Fulmer’s Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama set the tone early on this one, pulling off a profitable onside kick to begin the recreation. The finish consequence was much more shocking at the time as a result of it was introduced shortly earlier than kickoff that 4 Alabama gamers — together with beginning middle Antoine Caldwell and key working again Glen Coffee — had been suspended for violating NCAA guidelines concerning acquisition and distribution of textbooks. It was the first of 15 straight wins by Alabama over Tennessee, a streak not snapped till 2022.

Alabama 36, Auburn 0 (Nov. 29, 2008)

The Crimson Tide punctuated a 12-0 common season and SEC West Division title with a rout of the Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama’s first win in the Iron Bowl since 2001. Alabama ran for 234 yards in the recreation and held Auburn to simply 170 yards of complete offense. Backup quarterback Greg McElroy threw a 34-yard landing cross to Marquis Maze with 2:49 left in the recreation, rubbing the victory into the eyes of Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who resigned/received fired a couple of days later after a 5-7 end. Alabama misplaced its subsequent two video games to complete the season at 12-2, however the phrase was out that a dynasty was coming.

Alabama 32, Florida 13 (Dec. 5, 2009)

The Crimson Tide had had this recreation circled since the earlier December, after they misplaced 31-20 to Tim Tebow and the Gators in the 2008 SEC championship recreation. This time round, it was Alabama with the higher hand regardless of being ranked No. 2 in the nation. Mark Ingram locked up the Heisman Trophy with 113 yards and three touchdowns dashing and the Crimson Tide protection shut out the Gators in the second half to depart Tebow in tears on the sideline. Alabama went on to face Texas for the BCS nationwide championship, successful 37-21 to safe the first of Saban’s six nationwide titles with the Crimson Tide.

Alabama 49, Michigan State 7 (Jan. 1, 2011)

The 2010 season was a little bit of a letdown for the Crimson Tide, with regular-season losses to South Carolina, LSU and Auburn derailing a shot at a second straight nationwide championship. But Alabama set free its frustration in the Capital One Bowl, completely dominating an 11-1 Michigan State group. The Crimson Tide rolled up 546 yards of complete offense — 275 of that on the floor. The protection, in the meantime, restricted the Spartans to minus-48 (!) dashing yards and totaled 5 sacks. Alabama completed the season at 10-3, that means each Saban group from 2008-2023 ended up with double-digit victories.

Alabama 21, LSU 0 (Jan. 9, 2012)

One of the best defenses in school soccer historical past put an exclamation level on its season by shutting out the No. 1 group in the nation in the BCS National Championship recreation in New Orleans. Alabama — which had misplaced a 9-6 double-overtime battle of attrition to the Tigers in Tuscaloosa in November — received this one by merely refusing to permit LSU a lot room to function. The Tigers totaled simply 92 yards of offense and didn’t cross the 50-yard line till the fourth quarter. Jeremy Shelley kicked 5 area targets to offer Alabama all the factors it will want, then Trent Richardson lastly broke free for a 34-yard landing run to place the recreation and the championship on ice with 4:36 remaining.

Alabama 49, Auburn 0 (Nov. 24, 2012)

Rarely has the distinction between Alabama and Auburn’s groups been so starkly totally different than on this Iron Bowl day in Tuscaloosa, when the Crimson Tide scored just about at will and the Tigers by no means had an opportunity. AJ McCarron threw 4 landing passes — two every to Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood — as Alabama scored its most decisive Iron Bowl victory since the Forties and clinched a spot in the SEC championship recreation. The Crimson Tide would beat Georgia in Atlanta to earn a second straight journey to the BCS title recreation. Auburn, in the meantime, completed 3-9 general and 0-8 in the SEC and fired coach Gene Chizik the following day.

Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14 (Jan. 7, 2013)

After slipping previous Georgia in the SEC championship recreation, Alabama left little doubt it had Notre Dame utterly outclassed in the nationwide title recreation in suburban Miami. The Crimson Tide led 28-0 at halftime, main Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly to posit throughout a stay tv interview that the solely method his group may come again can be for Alabama to not present up for the second half. McCarron threw 4 landing passes, together with one to Eddie Lacy, who ran for one more and was named the recreation’s MVP. The solely drama in the second half was off the area, with ABC’s Brent Musburger famously drooling over future Mrs. McCarron Katherine Webb when she was proven on the tv broadcast whereas sitting with McCarron’s mom in the stands. It was Alabama’s third nationwide championship in 4 years, a primary in Crimson Tide program historical past.

Alabama 59, Texas A&M 0 (Oct. 25, 2014)

The short-lived Kenny “Trill” Hill Heisman marketing campaign ended with a splat in Tuscaloosa, as the Crimson Tide held the Aggies to simply 172 yards of offense and off the scoreboard for the first time in 11 years. Alabama rolled to a 45-0 halftime lead on the power of 5 touchdowns in the second quarter and totaled 602 yards in the recreation beneath first-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Blake Sims threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns and in addition ran for a rating for the Crimson Tide. Alabama finally ended up in need of the nationwide title when it misplaced to Ohio State in the semifinals of the first College Football Playoff, however completed 12-2 and received the first of three straight SEC championships.

Alabama 38, Michigan State 0 (Dec. 31, 2015)

The Crimson Tide buried the Spartans in the postseason for the second time in 5 years, pulling off the largest shutout in Cotton Bowl historical past and advancing to face Clemson in the CFP nationwide championship recreation. Jake Coker threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns, together with a 50-yard bomb to Calvin Ridley in the finish zone late in the third quarter. Heisman winner Derrick Henry had a reasonably quiet day with 75 yards on 20 carries, however delivered a stiff arm for the ages to 6-foot-5, 260-pound Michigan State defensive finish Shilique Calhoun throughout a landing run in the fourth quarter. After dispatching the Spartans, Alabama superior to beat Clemson 45-40 in Arizona for its fourth nationwide championship in seven years.

Alabama 52, USC 6 (Sept. 3, 2016)

This season-opener in Arlington, Texas, started with USC taking the area whereas imitating a pack of wild dogs making an attempt to interrupt free from their chains, and ended with the Trojans skulking away like puppies with their tails between their legs. USC really led 3-0 after one quarter earlier than top-ranked Alabama poured it on after that behind true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts. Though Blake Barnett technically began the recreation, it was a star-making efficiency for Hurts, who threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for 2 extra in his first school recreation. USC, in the meantime, managed simply 194 yards of offense and a pair of area targets. Alabama would win its first 14 video games that season earlier than dropping to Clemson in one other traditional nationwide championship recreation, 35-31.

Alabama 59, Vanderbilt 0 (Sept. 23, 2017)

It was the top of the “We Want Bama” period when Vanderbilt defensive lineman Nifae Lealao declared to a television camera following a Week 3 victory over Kansas State that “Alabama, you’re next.” One week later in Nashville, the Crimson Tide skull-dragged Lealao and the Commodores in what is likely to be the most-dominant victory in program historical past. Alabama ran for 496 yards and 6 touchdowns in the recreation, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and totaling a college file 38 first downs. Vanderbilt totaled simply 78 yards of offense and three first downs and held the ball for simply 17:05 of clock time. This was joyless murderball at its most interesting. The Crimson Tide went on to complete 13-1, successful its fifth nationwide championship beneath Saban.

Alabama 66, Ole Miss 3 (Sept. 30, 2017)

You’re studying that appropriately — Alabama beat SEC opponents in consecutive weeks by a complete of 125-3. Hurts handed for 197 yards and two touchdowns and added 101 yards and one other rating dashing, a part of a 613-yard day for the eventual nationwide champion Crimson Tide. Nine totally different gamers scored for Alabama — together with fourth-year working again Ronnie Clark, who had overcome two Achilles accidents and whose 9-yard run in the fourth quarter was the first (and solely) landing of his school profession. Ole Miss, a program left reeling by Hugh Freeze’s sudden ouster in mid-July, managed only a first-quarter area objective. This recreation additionally matched Alabama’s most-decisive victory of the trendy period, a 66-3 victory over Vanderbilt in 1979.

Alabama 62, Ole Miss 7 (Sept. 15, 2018)

Ole Miss scored on the first play of the recreation that day in Oxford, Miss., a 75-yard landing cross from Jordan Ta’amu to DK Metcalf. Alabama matched that landing a bit greater than a minute afterward Damien Harris’ 43-yard run, after which scored the subsequent 55 factors. Three totally different Crimson Tide quarterbacks threw passes and 6 totally different working backs carried the ball as Alabama put a mixed 128-10 whipping on Matt Luke’s Rebels over a two-year interval. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t even make it to halftime earlier than being pulled from the recreation. It was the third straight week over 50 factors for Alabama and amongst eight totally different occasions the Crimson Tide would crack that barrier on the method to a school-record 684 factors in 15 video games (45.6 per recreation). Alabama reached the nationwide championship recreation undefeated earlier than stumbling, a 44-16 loss to Clemson that was by far the most lopsided in 17 years beneath Saban.

Alabama 41, Mississippi State 0 (Oct. 31, 2020)

This recreation wasn’t particularly one-sided when in comparison with others throughout the Crimson Tide’s undefeated march to its sixth (and ultimate) nationwide championship beneath Saban, but it surely was the solely shutout that season. It’s additionally distinctive in that it was the solely time Saban coached in a recreation on his birthday throughout his 17-year tenure in Tuscaloosa. Alabama usually has an open date on the ultimate weekend of October (because it does this yr), and has solely performed on Halloween/Saban’s birthday 4 occasions since 1970 — 1981, 1987, 1998 and through the COVID season. Mac Jones threw 4 landing passes — all to eventual Heisman winner DeVonta Smith — throughout the 2020 win over the Bulldogs, which was a part of a 6-game run by which Alabama additionally beat Tennessee 48-17, Kentucky 63-3, Auburn 42-13, LSU 55-17 and Arkansas 52-3.

Alabama 52, Ohio State 24 (Jan. 11, 2021)

In retrospect, this may need been the final hurrah. Saban coached one other three seasons after this one, however by no means once more would Alabama look so superior in opposition to a championship-caliber opponent than on that night time vs. the Buckeyes in Miami Gardens, Fla. Smith caught 12 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns regardless of struggling a dislocated finger throughout the recreation, and Jones threw for 464 yards and 5 touchdowns as the Crimson Tide pulled away late in the second quarter. Alabama was up so huge late in the recreation that vast receiver Jaylen Waddle was capable of catch three passes whereas taking part in on a not-fully-healed damaged ankle and middle Landon Dickerson returned for the ultimate “victory formation” sequence regardless of a torn ACL. Alabama’s 13-0 end was simply its second undefeated season beneath Saban and capped an unmatched run of six nationwide championships in 12 years.