There are many great college football programs across our nation, but most surely envy the tremendous
success and tradition of Alabama Football. Located in the heart of Dixie, Alabama has established itself
as one of the winningest programs in the country while laying claim to 10 national championships from
highly recognized polls.
Bama’s first national championship team took the field under the direction of Coach Wallace Wade in
1925. Wade’s squad outscored its opponents 297-26 while rolling to a 10-0 record. The season finale
was Alabama’s first bowl game, a 20-19 Rose Bowl win over Washington.
A return trip to the Rose Bowl the next season concluded Alabama’s second straight national
championship claim following the 1926 season. The 7-7 tie with Stanford was the only bump in a 9-0-1
campaign.
Wallace Wade would gain his final national title in 1930 when his Crimson Tide team went 10-0 again
after finishing the season with a Rose Bowl victory. Wade’s last Bama team stymied opponents,
outscoring them 271-13.
Bear Bryant began a long string of dominance when he guided his first national championship team in
1961. The undefeated Tide (11-0) out muscled their opponents by a 297-25 margin in scoring. Only an N.
C. State team led by Roman Gabriel could muster as much as seven points against Bama.
With Bear’s legacy growing larger, Alabama produced two more claims to the national title in the 1960s.
The 1964 squad led by Joe Namath, posted an undefeated regular season before losing to Texas in the
Orange Bowl. Alabama benefited from the AP and UPI tabulating their votes before the bowl games since
the defeat would have knocked them from the top.
Quarterback Steve Sloan took the reins in 1965 and led the Tide to a second consecutive national title with
a 9-1-1 record. Bryant’s team overcame a season opening loss to Georgia to bounce back to the top.
Despite Alabama winning four-SEC titles during its eight-year drought, the Tide didn’t claim its next
national championship until 1973. Once again Bryant’s team went undefeated in the regular season
before falling 23-24 to Notre Dame in a thrilling Sugar Bowl. Gary Rutledge was the triggerman for the
Tide’s wishbone offense that achieved a share of the national title.
Thanks in part to Rutledge’s younger brother Jeff following his brother’s quarterbacking footsteps;
Alabama again delivered consecutive national titles in the late 1970s. Although the Tide lost to USC in the
third game of the 1978 season, Bryant’s squad finished 11-1 and earned a share of national top honors.
Oddly enough Alabama split the national title with the Trojans.
Bryant’s last national championship team left no room for doubt when they won top honors after cruising
to a 12-0 record. Bama whipped their opponents by a combined 383-67 scoring margin and blitzed
Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
Bryant protégé Gene Stallings struck championship gold in 1992 when Alabama posted a 13-0 record.
With Stallings in his third year at the Bama coaching helm, the Tide faced the challenge of beating Florida
in the first SEC championship game before subduing Miami in the Sugar Bowl.
Year REC COACH POLLS
1925 10-0 Wallace Wade Unanimous
1926 9-0-1 Wallace Wade CFRA, HAF, NCF
1930 10-0 Wallace Wade CFRA
1961 11-0 Paul “Bear” Bryant AP, NFF, UPI
1964 10-1 Paul “Bear” Bryant AP, UPI
1965 9-1-1 Paul “Bear” Bryant AP, FWAA
1973 11-1 Paul “Bear” Bryant UPI
1978 11-1 Paul “Bear” Bryant AP, FWAA, NFF
1979 12-0 Paul “Bear” Bryant Unanimous
1992 13-0 Gene Stallings Unanimous
