188-520: The College Football Playoff National Championship is a post-season college football bowl game , used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which began play in the 2014 college football season . The game is held on the second Monday of January and serves as the final game of the College Football Playoff , a bracket tournament between
376-500: A bachelor's degree in business. Saban played defensive back for Kent State under coach Don James . He and a roommate avoided being part of the Kent State shootings , on May 4, 1970, when they decided to eat lunch before walking to the rally area. In 1975, Saban earned his master's degree in sports administration from Kent State. Saban's father died during his son's first year of graduate school . Saban had not intended to enter
564-552: A 0–0 tie. The Army–Navy game of 1893 saw the first documented use of a football helmet by a player in a game. Joseph M. Reeves had a crude leather helmet made by a shoemaker in Annapolis and wore it in the game after being warned by his doctor that he risked death if he continued to play football after suffering an earlier kick to the head. In 1879, the University of Michigan became the first school west of Pennsylvania to establish
752-727: A 17–10 victory in Tiger Stadium over the defending SEC champion, and then-undefeated, Georgia Bulldogs . LSU lost the following week to Florida , 19–7. After the loss to Florida, LSU did not lose again in the regular season and ended its regular season with a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks to win the SEC West . After winning the SEC West, the Tigers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 34–13 in
940-593: A 24–10 loss the following week to the Jacksonville Jaguars all but ended their playoff hopes. The Dolphins rebounded the following week with a 21–0 win over the New England Patriots , the Dolphins' last victory of the 2006 season. Quarterback Joey Harrington was eventually benched in favor of third-string quarterback Cleo Lemon . The defense ranked as a top-five unit in points and yards allowed. However,
1128-502: A 31–20 win over #2 Tennessee in the 2001 SEC Championship Game , and a 47–34 win over Illinois in the 2002 Sugar Bowl . It was the first outright SEC championship for LSU since 1986 , and the first time the Tigers had won the Sugar Bowl since 1968 . The 2002 season opened with high expectations, but a 26–8 loss at the hands of Virginia Tech in the Tigers' season opener raised serious questions about their outlook. However,
1316-574: A 34–10 victory over the No. 9 ranked Clemson Tigers in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff in the Georgia Dome . Alabama won the next two games against Tulane and Western Kentucky before entering SEC play. In the following game, Alabama had a convincing 49–14 road-win over Arkansas . The Tide followed that victory with a 41–30 win over the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs . After
1504-554: A 37–21 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game to finish a perfect 14–0 to give Alabama their first National Championship since 1992. The 2009 Crimson Tide set a school record for single-season victories with 14. The win secured Saban's second national championship and Alabama's 13th, and its first in the BCS era. At the on-campus celebration, Saban famously stated "I want everybody here to know, this
1692-498: A 48–0 shutout. On homecoming, Alabama defeated Kentucky 34–6. The next week Saban picked up his 10th consecutive victory over Arkansas , winning 49–30. In the annual Third Saturday in October , Alabama dominated #9 Tennessee 49–10, to win its tenth in a row over the Vols. In their second straight game versus a top-10 opponent, Alabama defeated #6 Texas A&M 33–14. After a bye week,
1880-456: A 56-game undefeated streak that included a 1902 trip to play in the first college football bowl game , which later became the Rose Bowl Game . During this streak, Michigan scored 2,831 points while allowing only 40. Organized intercollegiate football was first played in the state of Minnesota on September 30, 1882, when Hamline was convinced to play Minnesota . Minnesota won 2 to 0. It
2068-423: A bowl invitation. Saban led the 1999 Spartans to a 9–2 season that included wins over Notre Dame , Michigan , Ohio State , and Penn State . The two losses were routs at the hands of Purdue and Wisconsin . Following the final regular-season game against Penn State, Saban abruptly resigned to accept the head coaching position with LSU . Saban's assistant head coach and successor, Bobby Williams , coached
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#17328521923152256-483: A bye week, Alabama suffered its second loss of the season, losing to #10 LSU , 24–21. The following week, Alabama bounced back at home defeating #17 Mississippi State , 30–10. The following week Alabama defeated Georgia State 63–7, the most points for Alabama since 1979 . In the Iron Bowl , Alabama lost to in-state rival (and eventual BCS champions) #2 Auburn 28–27, snapping a 20-game home winning streak. In winning
2444-526: A bye week, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge in a top ten matchup against #10 LSU . Saban suffered his second loss of the season, losing 32–31 in overtime. Alabama bounced back with a close win over #11 Ole Miss 30–24. The next week, Alabama shutout Austin Peay 34–0. In the Iron Bowl , the Tide defeated Auburn 49–27. The win secured Saban his fifteenth consecutive ten-win season, a new NCAA record. Alabama finished
2632-503: A college football team. On May 30, 1879, Michigan beat Racine College 1–0 in a game played in Chicago. The Chicago Daily Tribune called it "the first rugby-football game to be played west of the Alleghenies ." Other Midwestern schools soon followed suit, including the University of Chicago , Northwestern University , and the University of Minnesota . The first western team to travel east
2820-479: A contract extension with Alabama. The deal runs through the 2028 season. In his 15th season, Alabama started the season #1 in the preseason AP and Coaches poll, marking the 14th consecutive season the Tide have had the #1 ranking. It's the sixth time Alabama has started the season No. 1 under Saban. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game , Alabama defeated #14 Miami (FL) 44–13 in their first meeting since
3008-649: A frustrating two months, however, the Dolphins would rally late in the season, as they won their final six games, including a 28–26 win to end the season in Foxboro, Massachusetts , over the New England Patriots . The team finished the year with a 9–7 record, and narrowly missed the playoffs in Saban's first season. Going into the 2006 season , the Dolphins were expected to contend for a playoff spot. The season, however, turned out to be unsuccessful. The Dolphins were considering quarterback Drew Brees , who had just been released from
3196-447: A great deal to Harvard's rugby. They decided to play with 15 players on each team. On November 13, 1875, Yale and Harvard played each other for the first time ever, where Harvard won 4–0. At the first The Game (as the annual contest between Harvard and Yale came to be named) the future "father of American football" Walter Camp was among the 2000 spectators in attendance. Walter, a native of New Britain, Connecticut , would enroll at Yale
3384-536: A liking to the rugby game, and its use of the try which, until that time, was not used in American football. The try would later evolve into the score known as the touchdown . On June 4, 1875, Harvard faced Tufts University in the first game between two American colleges played under rules similar to the McGill/Harvard contest, which was won by Tufts 1–0. The rules included each side fielding 11 men at any given time,
3572-489: A national championship game since the 2012 season. Alabama went on to defeat unbeaten #1 Clemson , 45–40, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship . The victory marked Alabama's 16th national title and fourth in seven seasons. It was Saban's fifth national title and fourth at Alabama. The Tide finished the season at 14–1. Alabama started Saban's tenth season ranked #1 in
3760-487: A new code of rules based on the rugby game first introduced to Harvard by McGill University in 1874. Three of the schools—Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton—formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, as a result of the meeting. Yale initially refused to join this association because of a disagreement over the number of players to be allowed per team (relenting in 1879) and Rutgers were not invited to
3948-499: A player to pick up the ball and run with it whenever he wished. Another rule, unique to McGill, was to count tries (the act of grounding the football past the opposing team's goal line; there was no end zone during this time), as well as goals, in the scoring. In the Rugby rules of the time, a try only provided the attempt to kick a free goal from the field. If the kick was missed, the try did not score any points itself. Harvard quickly took
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#17328521923154136-505: A positive COVID-19 test. He missed the following game against #22 Auburn in the Iron Bowl , which Alabama won 42–13. The next week, Saban was back on the sideline, as Alabama routed LSU 55–17. The win secured Alabama the SEC West division title, its 15th overall and Saban's 12th as a coach. Alabama finished the regular season undefeated after defeating Arkansas 52–3. It was Saban's fifth undefeated regular season at Alabama. It marks Alabama's 13th consecutive ten-win season as well. In
4324-462: A professional roster spot as an undrafted free agent . Despite these opportunities, only around 1.6% of NCAA college football players end up playing professionally in the NFL. Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League (NFL), college football has remained extremely popular throughout the U.S. Although the college game has a much larger margin for talent than its pro counterpart,
4512-618: A rematch of the SEC Championship in the third All-SEC National title game. In the CFP National Championship , Saban suffered his third title game loss, losing 33–18. The Tide finished the season 13–2. In his 16th season, Alabama started the year ranked #1 in the preseason AP and Coaches Poll. 2022 marked the 15th consecutive season the Tide have been #1 at some point of the year. In the season opener, Alabama shutout Utah State 55–0. Alabama traveled to Austin, Texas , for
4700-504: A rougher version of football called "the Boston Game" in which the kicking of a round ball was the most prominent feature though a player could run with the ball, pass it, or dribble it (known as "babying"). The man with the ball could be tackled, although hitting, tripping, "hacking" and other unnecessary roughness was prohibited. There was no limit to the number of players, but there were typically ten to fifteen per side. A player could carry
4888-524: A round ball instead of a rugby-style oblong ball. This series of games represents an important milestone in the development of the modern game of American football. In October 1874, the Harvard team once again traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, where they won by three tries. In as much as Rugby football had been transplanted to Canada from England, the McGill team played under a set of rules which allowed
5076-478: A row. The Tide finished the regular season 11–1. In the SEC Championship , Alabama defeated #1 Georgia 27–24, snapping Georgia's 29 game win streak. The win secured Alabama its 30th SEC Championship. The win gave Saban his eleventh SEC title and ninth with Alabama. The following day, Alabama was selected for the College Football Playoff for the eighth time. They were selected as the #4 seed and would play
5264-476: A shootout, Alabama defeated Ole Miss 63–48. The 111 points scored was the most in a non-overtime conference game in SEC history. On October 14, 2020, Saban tested positive for COVID-19, along with the university athletic director, Greg Byrne. That Saturday, Saban tested negative and was able to coach Alabama in a top 3 matchup against #3 Georgia . The Tide prevailed 41–24 to improve to 22–0 versus former assistants. In
5452-544: A spot in a BCS bowl game for the fourth time in five years. On December 2, Alabama finished second in the final BCS rankings for the second consecutive season. On January 7, 2013, No. 2 Alabama faced #1 Notre Dame in the first meeting between the schools since 1987, defeating the Irish 42–14 in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game . The win gave Alabama their 15th national championship and their third championship in four years. Alabama won back-to-back national titles for
5640-537: A team be required to advance the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. These down-and-distance rules, combined with the establishment of the line of scrimmage, transformed the game from a variation of rugby football into the distinct sport of American football. Camp was central to several more significant rule changes that came to define American football. In 1881, the field was reduced in size to its modern dimensions of 120 by 53 1 ⁄ 3 yards (109.7 by 48.8 meters). Several times in 1883, Camp tinkered with
5828-564: A win at home over Mississippi State . To finish the regular season, Bama defeated in-state rival Auburn , 36–0, the largest margin of victory in the series since 1962 . It was Alabama's first victory over Auburn since the 2001 season . In the SEC Championship Game , Alabama suffered its first defeat in a 31–20 loss to the SEC Eastern Division champion Florida Gators (who later won the 2008 BCS Championship), and closed out
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6016-416: A win over then-ranked No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks . Alabama ended the regular season with a 6–6 record, including a four-game losing streak, a particularly humiliating loss at home to Louisiana-Monroe , and a sixth straight loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl . All six of Alabama's losses were by seven points or fewer. The Crimson Tide defeated Colorado in the 2007 Independence Bowl , 30–24, to end
6204-505: A youth, he excelled in sports like track , baseball, and association football, and after enrolling at Yale in 1876, he earned varsity honors in every sport the school offered. Following the introduction of rugby-style rules to American football, Camp became a fixture at the Massasoit House conventions where rules were debated and changed. Dissatisfied with what seemed to him to be a disorganized mob, he proposed his first rule change at
6392-581: Is generally considered to be the second tier of American and Canadian football; ahead of high school competition , but below professional competition . In some parts of the United States, especially the South and Midwest , college football is more popular than professional football. For much of the 20th century, college football was generally considered to be more prestigious than professional football. The overwhelming majority of professional football players in
6580-528: Is not the end. This is the beginning." Following the victory over the Longhorns, the University of Alabama announced that it would unveil a statue of Saban in the week prior to the kickoff of the 2010 season. On April 16, 2011, a life-sized bronzed statue of Saban was unveiled at the 2011 A-Day spring game, making him Alabama's fifth coach to be immortalized outside the north end zone of Bryant–Denny Stadium . At
6768-399: Is the fourth-largest victory in school history. In their annual rivalry with Tennessee , Alabama won their eighth straight over the Vols 34–20. After a second bye week, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge to play #14 LSU . After a late field goal, Alabama sent the game into overtime defeating the Tigers 20–13. In a matchup of top five teams, Alabama defeated #1 Mississippi State 25–20 marking
6956-554: Is the second biggest margin of victory in the rivalry's history and first shutout since 2008. It was Alabama's fourth shutout of the season (second time back-to-back) and second year in a row the Tide finish the regular season 11–1. In the SEC Championship , Alabama overcame a late drive by #3 Georgia to defeat the Bulldogs 32–28 winning the schools 23rd conference title. The 2012 title was Alabama's first conference championship since 2009 and Saban's fourth overall. The win also clinched
7144-658: Is widely regarded as having originated with a game played in Montreal, in 1865, when British Army officers played local civilians. The game gradually gained a following, and the Montreal Football Club was formed in 1868, the first recorded non-university football club in Canada. Early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional " mob football " played in Great Britain. The games remained largely unorganized until
7332-416: The 1993 Sugar Bowl . In the home opener, the Tide defeated Mercer 48–14. The following week, Alabama traveled to Gainesville to take on #11 Florida . In the conference opener, The Tide won a close game 31–29. The next week, Alabama defeated Southern Miss 63–14. In the following game, Alabama took on #12 Ole Miss and won 42–21. Alabama traveled to College Station, Texas , to play Texas A&M in
7520-544: The 2013 BCS National Championship Game , the Tide defeated the Irish 31–14. It was Alabama's first appearance and win in the Rose Bowl since 1946 . On January 5, 2021, DeVonta Smith became Saban's third Heisman Trophy winner. Mac Jones and Najee Harris finished third and fifth respectively in voting. Alabama became the second program to have three players finish in the top five in Heisman voting, joining Army's 1946 team. In
7708-470: The 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship , Alabama defeated #3 Ohio State 52–24 to win its 18th National Championship. The win gave Saban his seventh overall National Title, and sixth with the Crimson Tide. Saban passed Paul W. Bryant for most titles all time. It was Saban's second undefeated season and first since 2009. The Tide finished the season 13–0. On June 7, 2021, Saban agreed to
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7896-621: The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) since 1986, as officials wanted a new trophy that was unconnected with the previous BCS championship system. The inaugural game was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas , on January 12, 2015, and was won by Ohio State . A top-ranked team did not win the College Football Playoff National Championship until LSU won the sixth edition of
8084-481: The Georgia Dome in Atlanta . Following a bye week, Alabama traveled to College Station, Texas , to pick up its first conference win, defeating #6 Texas A&M , 49–42, in a wild shootout that Alabama had lost the year before. The Crimson Tide went on to defeat Colorado State , which was coached by Alabama's former offensive coordinator Jim McElwain , 31–6. #21 Ole Miss Rebels was next up for Alabama, which shut out
8272-536: The Iron Bowl , Alabama defeated Auburn 42–14. On December 4, Alabama was selected to face LSU in the BCS National Championship Game by finishing No. 2 in the final BCS rankings, the first time in college football history that two teams from the same conference (much less the same division of the same conference) played each other for the BCS Championship. In the rematch, Alabama defeated
8460-411: The Iron Bowl , Alabama defeated in-state rival Auburn , 29–13, to secure the SEC West. The Tide finished the regular season 11–1 for the fifth straight season. In the SEC Championship , Saban secured his sixth conference title when the Tide defeated #18 Florida 29–15. It was Alabama's 25th conference championship, second consecutive title and third in four years. Alabama for the second straight year
8648-414: The Iron Bowl , which was hosted by #4 Auburn in a matchup between top five teams. The game was tied 28–28 with only a single second remaining in regulation, as Alabama and Auburn appeared headed for overtime. Extra time wasn't necessary as Saban decided to attempt a 56-yard field goal instead of either running out the clock or attempting a Hail Mary from Auburn's 39-yard line. The decision proved costly, as
8836-503: The Missouri Tigers 42–10 in their first meeting as conference opponents. The next week Alabama defeated their rival Tennessee 44–13 for the sixth consecutive year. On homecoming, Alabama beat undefeated #13 Mississippi State 38–7. In a rematch of the 2012 BCS National Championship Game , Alabama overcame a late deficit with less than a minute remaining to defeat #5 LSU 21–17. The next week, Alabama suffered their first loss of
9024-556: The NFL and other leagues previously played college football. The NFL draft each spring sees 224 players selected and offered a contract to play in the league, with the vast majority coming from the NCAA . Other professional leagues, such as the CFL and UFL , additionally hold their own drafts each year which also see primarily college players selected. Players who are not selected can still attempt to obtain
9212-501: The National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins and at four universities: Louisiana State University (LSU), Michigan State University , the University of Toledo and most famously the University of Alabama , where he last coached from 2007 to 2023 and led the team to six national championships in nine championship appearances during that period. As a college football head coach, Saban won seven national titles,
9400-592: The New Year's Six . Thus, the teams to compete in the final are not directly selected by a selection committee, as had been the format used for the BCS National Championship Game. The game is played at a neutral site, determined through bids by prospective host cities (similar to the NCAA Final Four ). When announcing it was soliciting bids for the 2016 and 2017 title games, playoff organizers noted that
9588-662: The Old Main lawn on campus in State College, Pennsylvania . They compiled a 12–8–1 record in these seasons, playing as an independent from 1887 to 1890. In 1891, the Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Football Association (PIFA) was formed. It consisted of Bucknell University , Dickinson College , Franklin & Marshall College , Haverford College , Penn State, and Swarthmore College . Lafayette College , and Lehigh University were excluded because it
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#17328521923159776-450: The SEC Championship , Alabama hung on in a high scoring game against #7 Florida 52–46. The win secured Alabama its 28th SEC title and gave Saban his ninth overall. The following day, Alabama was selected for the College Football Playoff for the sixth time in seven years. Alabama was selected as the #1 seed and played the #4 seed Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl . In the first meeting since
9964-616: The SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. They were ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings and advanced to play the BCS No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl , which was the host of the BCS Championship Game in 2003. The Tigers won the game 21–14. The win gave LSU the BCS national championship. and a 13–1 finish for the season. The 13 wins for LSU set a new single-season record, breaking
10152-629: The SEC Championship Game was added in 1992. Alabama made the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year and came in as the #1 seed for the second time. The Tide was selected to play in the Peach Bowl against the #4 seed Washington Huskies . In the first meeting with the Huskies since the 1986 Sun Bowl , Alabama won 24–7. In a rematch of the previous season's National Championship game , Alabama fell short to #2 Clemson 35–31 when
10340-475: The San Diego Chargers due to a career-threatening shoulder injury and subsequent contract dispute, but instead traded for Daunte Culpepper , who was still recovering from a knee injury from the previous season. Saban later said that the team's decision to pass on Brees was the moment he knew that he would leave the team. Culpepper never fully recovered and was ultimately benched after the fourth game of
10528-544: The Sugar Bowl , losing 42–35. The loss was Saban's third in Sugar Bowls at Alabama. The Tide finished the season at 12–2. In his ninth season , Saban and Alabama began the year ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP and Coaches Poll, marking the eighth straight year the Tide began the season in the top five. It was their lowest preseason ranking since 2009. In the season opener against #20 Wisconsin , Alabama won, 35–17, in Arlington, Texas . In their home opener,
10716-532: The Super Bowl , there is no de jure restriction on climate. A venue can not host a semi-final game and the National Championship Game in the same season. The first ten CFP National Championship Games were each held in a different region. The 2025 and 2026 games are the first two championship games scheduled to be played in venues that had previously hosted a CFP title game. Note: Years listed are
10904-482: The Third Saturday in October , Alabama won its 14th straight over rival Tennessee 48–17. The next week, the Tide shutout Mississippi State 41–0. Following the bye week, Alabama moved up to #1 in the polls. It's the thirteenth year in a row Alabama has reached the top spot during a season. After an extra week off due to COVID-19 , Alabama returned to play defeating Kentucky 63–3. On November 25, Saban returned
11092-440: The #1 seed Michigan in the Rose Bowl . In the first meeting since the 2020 Citrus Bowl , Michigan knocked off Alabama 27–20 in overtime. It was Saban's first playoff semifinal loss since 2014. The loss snapped a fifteen-year streak of being ranked #1 in the polls at any time during the season and marked the first time at Alabama that Saban went three consecutive seasons without winning a national championship. The Tide finished
11280-467: The #1 seed and played the #4 seed Cincinnati in the first meeting between the schools since 1990. On December 11, Bryce Young became Saban's fourth Heisman Trophy winner. The win ties him with Frank Leahy for most Heisman winners. In the Cotton Bowl Classic , Alabama defeated Cincinnati 27–6. The win secured Saban's ninth title game appearance in 13 seasons. The Tide played #3 Georgia in
11468-424: The #3 seed Georgia Bulldogs in the second National Championship game between SEC schools. In overtime, backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on a 2nd-and-26 play for a 26–23 victory. This was Alabama's 17th National Championship and fifth title in nine seasons. Saban tied Bear Bryant with six national championships for most in the poll era. The Tide finished
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#173285219231511656-597: The #4 seed and played the #1 seed Clemson Tigers at the Sugar Bowl . In the rematch of the previous two National Championship games, Alabama avenged the previous season's only loss, to Clemson, winning 24–6. The win gave Saban his first Sugar Bowl victory as Alabama's coach, ending a three-game losing streak in the bowl. The win secured Saban his third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff Championship Game . It also gave Saban's Senior class an NCAA-record 52nd win. Alabama took on
11844-610: The 1994 defensive unit for the Browns that was the best in the NFL in points allowed. Saban later said these four years were the "worst of my life". Saban became head coach of Michigan State prior to the 1995 season . Michigan State had not had a winning season since 1990 , and the team was sanctioned by the NCAA for recruiting violations that were committed under his predecessor and former mentor, George Perles . Beginning in 1995 , Saban moderately improved Michigan State's fortunes, taking
12032-401: The 19th century, when intramural games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football. Princeton University students played a game called "ballown" as early as 1820. In 1827, a Harvard tradition known as "Bloody Monday" began, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes. In 1860, both the town police and
12220-430: The 2010 season leading Alabama to a 62–13 victory. The next week Alabama overcame a 20–7 deficit to win its conference opener against #10 Arkansas , 24–20. On October 2, Alabama defeated #7 Florida 31–6. The following week Alabama lost to #19 South Carolina 35–21, snapping a 19-game win streak. Alabama bounced back with a 23–10 win over Ole Miss , and followed that up with a 41–10 victory over Tennessee . After
12408-455: The 2021 game was pre-recorded due to COVID concerns. Beginning with the 2027 championship, ABC will simulcast the national championship with ESPN. College football NAIA : NJCAA : College football ( French : football universitaire ) is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football first gained popularity in
12596-608: The AP and Coaches Poll. 2016 was the ninth consecutive year Alabama was #1 at some point in the season. In their first meeting since the 1985 Aloha Bowl , Alabama dominated traditional power #20 USC , 52–6, in the Advocare Classic at Arlington, Texas . In their home opener, the Tide took down Western Kentucky , 38–10. In the conference opener, Alabama avenged their last two regular-season losses, defeating #19 Ole Miss 48–43. The next week Saban took on his alma mater Kent State with
12784-481: The Allstate Crossbar Classic losing 34–24. The loss snapped a 57-game winning streak against non conference opponents in the regular season. The next week Alabama travelled to Tampa, FL to play South Florida . The Tide struggled but won 17–3. Alabama opened up conference play with a 24–10 win over #15 Ole Miss . The next week they defeated Mississippi State 40–17 for its sixteenth consecutive win in
12972-515: The College of New Jersey, in the first collegiate football game . The game more closely resembled soccer than football as it is played in the 21st century. It was played with a round ball , and used a set of rules suggested by Rutgers captain William J. Leggett , based on The Football Association 's first set of rules , which were an early attempt by the former pupils of England's public schools, to unify
13160-746: The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home team's own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on the Football Association's rules than the rules of the recently founded Rugby Football Union , was drawn up for intercollegiate football games. Old "Football Fightum" had been resurrected at Harvard in 1872, when Harvard resumed playing football. Harvard, however, preferred to play
13348-417: The Georgia game, the Tide won consecutive home games against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Ole Miss Rebels and finished the month of October with a 29–9 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers . Following a 35–0 homecoming victory over Arkansas State , the Crimson Tide rose to No. 1 in all major polls in Week 10—following a loss by No. 1 Texas to the Texas Tech Red Raiders . It
13536-502: The Hogs. On homecoming, the Tide defeated Missouri 39–10. In the Third Saturday in October , Alabama defeated rival Tennessee 58–21. It was the longest winning streak against the Vols with 12 wins and most points scored against them. After the bye week, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge to take on #4 LSU in a matchup between two top-four ranked teams. The Tide shutout the Tigers 29–0, securing its seventh straight division title. The win
13724-534: The January 2024 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances). The following coaches led their teams to the National Championship final. Nick Saban has reached the final the most times, six, with a 3–3 record. An offensive MVP and defensive MVP are named for each final. Source: The national anthem usually begins with a drumroll by two drummers, with one member representing each team. The national anthem for
13912-501: The NCAA record. In the Iron Bowl , the Tide suffered its first loss of the season to in-state rival #6 Auburn 26–14. They finished the regular season 11–1. On December 3, Alabama was selected to the College Football Playoff for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first team to be selected for the playoffs after finishing second in the SEC Western division and not having a chance to play for an SEC Championship. They were chosen as
14100-510: The NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries. Colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. With new bylaws made by the NCAA, college athletes can now receive "name, image, and likeness" (NIL) deals, a way to get sponsorships and money before their pro debut. Modern North American football has its origins in various games, all known as "football", played at public schools in Great Britain in
14288-730: The North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina . On November 13, 1887, the Virginia Cavaliers and Pantops Academy fought to a scoreless tie in the first organized football game in the state of Virginia . Students at UVA were playing pickup games of the kicking-style of football as early as 1870, and some accounts even claim that some industrious ones organized a game against Washington and Lee College in 1871, just two years after Rutgers and Princeton's historic first game in 1869. But no record has been found of
14476-454: The Rebels 25–0 for its tenth straight win in the series. The following week saw Alabama beat Georgia State 45–3. Alabama went on the road and defeated Kentucky 48–7. Alabama defeated Arkansas for the seventh consecutive year and by a score of 52–0 for the second consecutive year. In the Third Saturday in October , The Tide defeated Tennessee 45–10 to win its seventh consecutive game over
14664-679: The Rockets lost that season were by narrow margins: one point to Central Michigan and four points to Navy . While coaching in Toledo, Saban turned down an application from future head coach Urban Meyer , who was looking for any coaching job on Saban's staff. The following February, Saban resigned as Toledo's head coach after only one season in order to become defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick . He remained in that position for four seasons. Saban helped lead
14852-528: The SEC Western Division title. It is Saban's 15th overall division title and 13th with Alabama. On Senior day, Alabama routed FCS opponent Chattanooga 66–10. The win gave Saban his sixteenth straight 10-win season. In the Iron Bowl , quarterback Jalen Milroe on 4th and goal threw a 31-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to defeat Auburn 27–24. The win made Saban the first Alabama coach since Bear Bryant in 1981 to defeat Auburn four years in
15040-502: The Spartans to a Citrus Bowl victory over Florida , giving the Spartans an overall record of 10–2 for the 1999 season. It was the most wins for the Spartans in a season since 1965 , and the Spartans reached their highest ranking since the 1966 team . Future NFL head coach Josh McDaniels served as a graduate assistant on Saban's 1999 coaching staff. In November 1999, LSU named Nick Saban as their 31st head football coach. In 2000 ,
15228-484: The Spartans to bowl games in each of his first three seasons. From 1995 to 1997 , Michigan State finished 6–5–1, 6–6, and 7–5. On November 7, 1998 , the Spartans upset the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 28–24 at Ohio Stadium . However, even after the upset and an early-season rout of then-highly ranked Notre Dame the Spartans finished 6–6, including three last-minute losses featuring turnovers, defensive lapses, and special-teams misplays, and failed to earn
15416-507: The Tide beat #9 Texas A&M 41–23. In the annual Third Saturday in October meeting, the Tide narrowly defeated Tennessee 19–14 with a fourth-quarter comeback to get its ninth consecutive win in the rivalry. After the bye week, Alabama hosted #2 LSU in a matchup of top-five teams, winning 30–16. The Tide beat #20 Mississippi State , 31–6, for the eighth straight year. Next, Alabama defeated FCS opponent Charleston Southern , 56–6, to secure Saban's eighth consecutive 10-win season. In
15604-426: The Tide defeated Middle Tennessee , 37–10. In the conference opener, Alabama lost a back-and-forth struggle to #15 Ole Miss , 43–37. The following week Alabama bounced back with a 34–0 win over Louisiana Monroe . The Tide picked up a conference win dominating #8 Georgia , 38–10. Alabama defeated Arkansas 27–14 for its ninth consecutive win in the series. The following week behind a strong defensive performance,
15792-495: The Tide defeated Texas A&M 24–20, avenging last season's only regular season loss. In the Third Saturday in October , Saban suffered his first loss as Alabama coach against #6 Tennessee , losing 52–49 on a last second field goal at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville . The loss snapped Alabama's longest winning streak against the Vols at fifteen. On homecoming, the Tide bounced back defeating #24 Mississippi State 30–6. Following
15980-487: The Tide reached the top spot. A few days later, Alabama shut out Western Kentucky 35–0. Alabama opened up conference play the next week by routing Arkansas 52–0 in their sixth consecutive win over the Razorbacks. In week 4, Alabama defeated Florida Atlantic 40–7. The next week, the Tide defeated Ole Miss 33–14. After a bye week, Alabama traveled to Columbia, Missouri , for the first time since 1978 and defeated
16168-448: The Tide secured their third consecutive SEC West Division championship, seventh for Saban at Alabama, and tenth overall for his career. The next week the Tide defeated FCS opponent Chattanooga 31–3. In the Iron Bowl , Saban secured an undefeated regular season by defeating in-state rival #16 Auburn 30–12. This was Alabama's third straight win over the Tigers, the first time since 1990–1992. Alabama finished its regular season 12–0 for
16356-422: The Tide went to Baton Rouge to face #15 LSU . In a defensive slugfest, Alabama shut out the Tigers 10–0. The win was also Alabama's sixth in a row over LSU and the first shutout over them since the 2012 BCS National Championship Game . The following week Alabama defeated Mississippi State 51–3. The win gave Saban his ninth consecutive season winning 10 or more games. With a win by Georgia over #9 Auburn ,
16544-505: The Tigers 21–0 with a dominating defensive performance, improving Saban's record to 3–3 against Les Miles and his former employer, LSU. The win secured Saban his third BCS Championship, his second with Alabama, and the 14th National Championship for the Alabama football team. He is the only coach in college football to win three BCS Championships and the first coach since Nebraska's Tom Osborne to win three National Championships. At
16732-459: The Tigers 52–21. The win secured Saban's fourth undefeated regular season. In the SEC Championship , Alabama, behind backup quarterback Jalen Hurts , overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat #4 Georgia 35–28. The win gave Alabama its 27th SEC Championship. It was Saban's eighth conference title, sixth with Alabama. The win also gave Saban's senior class its 54th win, breaking the previous year's NCAA record for most wins. The following day, Alabama
16920-417: The Tigers scored on a game-winning touchdown pass with one second left on the clock. Alabama failed to recover Clemson's onside kick and time ran out. The loss snapped Alabama's 26-game winning streak and was Saban's first loss in a title game. The Tide finished the season at 14–1. In Saban's 11th season , Alabama started the season #1 in both the AP and Coaches Poll for the second consecutive year. This
17108-591: The Tigers went 8–4 and won the Peach Bowl over Georgia Tech . The season was somewhat marred by several lopsided losses, including a 34–17 loss to the Auburn Tigers , and a 41–9 loss to the Florida Gators . Saban led LSU to a 10–3 record in 2001 , including an SEC Championship and a Sugar Bowl victory. After a 35–24 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, the Tigers finished the year with six straight wins, including
17296-492: The Tigers would rebound to win their next six straight, but after a mid-season injury to quarterback Matt Mauck , LSU lost four of its last six games to close the season, including a 21–20 loss at Arkansas , which knocked the Tigers out of the SEC Championship Game. LSU also suffered a 35–20 loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic , and finished 8–5. The 2003 Tigers started the season with five wins, including
17484-866: The United States . Like gridiron football generally, college football is most popular in the United States and Canada. While no single governing body exists for college football in the United States, most schools, especially those at the highest levels of play, are members of the NCAA . In Canada, collegiate football competition is governed by U Sports for universities. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (for colleges) governs soccer and other sports but not gridiron football. Other countries, such as Mexico , Japan and South Korea , also host college football leagues with modest levels of support. Unlike most other major sports in North America , no official minor league farm organizations exist for American football or Canadian football . Therefore, college football
17672-523: The United States at the time. On January 4, 2007, at a press conference on the Alabama campus, Saban was officially introduced as the head football coach of The University of Alabama. On September 1, 2007 , his Crimson Tide opened the season with a 52–6 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts , scoring more points than during any game in the 2006 season . Saban became the fifth Alabama coach since 1900 to start his first season 3–0, earning
17860-399: The United States can bid on the National Championship Game each year. The number of cities capable of bidding for the event is restricted by a requirement to have a stadium with at least 65,000 seats. The stadium restriction would limit the bidding to most cities with a National Football League franchise, since all but four of the stadiums in the league meet the capacity requirements. Unlike
18048-400: The Vols. Following their second bye week, Alabama took on #10 LSU and Saban improved his record to 5–3 against the Tigers, as Alabama won 38–17. The Crimson Tide defeated Mississippi State 20–7 in a defensive bout. The win gave Alabama its sixth straight ten-win season, the longest in school history. On Senior day, the Tide knocked off FCS opponent Chattanooga 49–0. The next game was
18236-428: The ball only when being pursued. As a result of this, Harvard refused to attend the rules conference organized by Rutgers, Princeton and Columbia at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City on October 20, 1873, to agree on a set of rules and regulations that would allow them to play a form of football that was essentially Association football; and continued to play under its own code. While Harvard's voluntary absence from
18424-425: The ball was advanced by kicking or carrying it, and tackles of the ball carrier stopped play – actions of which have carried over to the modern version of football played today Harvard later challenged its closest rival, Yale, to which the Bulldogs accepted. The two teams agreed to play under a set of rules called the "Concessionary Rules", which involved Harvard conceding something to Yale's soccer and Yale conceding
18612-473: The bench seating). This allows them to seat more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium, which tends to have more features and comforts for fans. Only three stadiums owned by U.S. colleges or universities, L&N Stadium at the University of Louisville , Center Parc Stadium at Georgia State University , and FAU Stadium at Florida Atlantic University , consist entirely of chair back seating. College athletes, unlike players in
18800-497: The bids must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators, and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year. The winner of the game is awarded the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy , which is sponsored by Dr Pepper . It was created as a new championship trophy, rather than the "crystal football" that has been given by
18988-474: The center. Later changes made it possible to snap the ball with the hands, either through the air or by a direct hand-to-hand pass. Rugby league followed Camp's example, and in 1906 introduced the play-the-ball rule, which greatly resembled Camp's early scrimmage and center-snap rules. In 1966, rugby league introduced a four-tackle rule (changed in 1972 to a six-tackle rule) based on Camp's early down-and-distance rules. Camp's new scrimmage rules revolutionized
19176-546: The city of New Haven , banned the play of all forms of football in 1860. American football historian Parke H. Davis described the period between 1869 and 1875 as the 'Pioneer Period'; the years 1876–93 he called the 'Period of the American Intercollegiate Football Association'; and the years 1894–1933 he dubbed the "Period of Rules Committees and Conferences". On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University faced Princeton University , then known as
19364-557: The coaching ranks until Don James hired him as a graduate assistant at Kent State, while Saban waited for his wife to graduate. He later served as an assistant coach in NCAA Division I-A , at several schools: Syracuse in 1977, West Virginia in 1978 and 1979 , Ohio State in 1980 and 1981 , Navy in 1982 , and Michigan State from 1983 to 1987 . After the 1987 season, Kent State passed over Saban for its vacant head coaching position and hired Dick Crum . Saban
19552-482: The college authorities agreed the Bloody Monday had to go. Harvard students responded by going into mourning for a mock figure called "Football Fightum", for whom they conducted funeral rites. The authorities held firm, and it was another dozen years before football was once again played at Harvard. Dartmouth played its own version called " Old division football ", the rules of which were first published in 1871, though
19740-413: The conference opener, the Tide dominated Vanderbilt 59–0. The following week, Alabama manhandled Ole Miss 66–3, the most points in a game since 1979. The next week, Alabama went on the road and defeated Texas A&M 27–19. The next week, the Tide defeated Arkansas 41–9 for the 11th win in a row in the series. In the annual Third Saturday in October , the Tide defeated Tennessee 45–7. The win
19928-451: The field goal was short but caught nine yards deep in the Auburn end zone by the Tigers' Chris Davis , who returned the failed attempt 109 yards for a touchdown as time expired. The 28–34 loss knocked Alabama out of contention for the SEC Championship and dashed The Tide's hope for a national championship. Alabama finished the regular season 11–1 for the third consecutive year. At the end of
20116-634: The first game in Virginia. On April 9, 1880, at Stoll Field , Transylvania University (then called Kentucky University) beat Centre College by the score of 13 + 3 ⁄ 4 –0 in what is often considered the first recorded game played in the South . The first game of "scientific football" in the South was the first instance of the Victory Bell rivalry between North Carolina and Duke (then known as Trinity College) held on Thanksgiving Day , 1888, at
20304-466: The first meeting between the two schools. The Tide won their home opener the next week over Florida Atlantic 41–0 after the game was called in the fourth quarter due to lightning. The following week they defeated Southern Miss 52–12. In their conference opener, Alabama put up 645 yards of offense beating Florida 42–21. Following a bye week Alabama was voted No. 1 in the Coaches Poll marking
20492-404: The first meeting he attended in 1878: a reduction from fifteen players to eleven. The motion was rejected at that time but passed in 1880. The effect was to open up the game and emphasize speed over strength. Camp's most famous change, the establishment of the line of scrimmage and the snap from center to quarterback , was also passed in 1880. Originally, the snap was executed with the foot of
20680-430: The first overtime game in the rivalry's history, winning 24–22 in four overtimes. The Tide finished the regular season 11–1. In the SEC Championship , Alabama took on #1 Georgia winning 41–24. The victory marked Saban's eighth SEC title with Alabama, and the Tide's 29th SEC championship. The following day, Alabama was selected to the College Football Playoff for the seventh time in eight seasons. They were chosen as
20868-421: The first time Alabama has defeated an AP No. 1 team at home. Alabama defeated FCS opponent Western Carolina 48–14. The win secured Alabama its seventh consecutive ten-win season. In the Iron Bowl , Alabama avenged their only regular season loss of last season defeating their in-state rival #15 Auburn 55–44, the most points scored in the rivalry's history. The Tide finished the regular season 11–1 for
21056-413: The first time since 1973 – 1974 Alabama had finished the regular season undefeated in consecutive years, and the first consecutive 12-win seasons. The Crimson Tide defeated the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship , 32–13, in a rematch of the previous year's championship game. The championship represented Alabama's 22nd SEC title and its first since 1999. Saban's Crimson Tide ended the season with
21244-403: The first time since 1922 to play Texas . In the first meeting since the 2010 BCS National Championship Game , Alabama overcame a late deficit to win 20–19. The following week, Alabama defeated Louisiana Monroe 63–7. Alabama opened up conference play with a 55–3 win over Vanderbilt . The next week, the Tide traveled to Fayetteville and defeated #20 Arkansas 49–26. In the following game,
21432-417: The first time since 1978 and 1979. The title was Saban's fourth national championship and his third with the Crimson Tide, tying him with Wallace Wade for second all-time at Alabama. As the 2013 campaign began, Saban's Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches preseason polls for the first time since 2010. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game , Alabama defeated Virginia Tech 35–10 at
21620-404: The first time. The Yale team was coached and captained by David Schley Schaff, who had learned to play football while attending Rugby School . Schaff himself was injured and unable to play the game, but Yale won the game 3–0 nonetheless. Later in 1872, Stevens Tech became the fifth school to field a team. Stevens lost to Columbia, but beat both New York University and City College of New York during
21808-454: The following year. By 1873, the college students playing football had made significant efforts to standardize their fledgling game. Teams had been scaled down from 25 players to 20. The only way to score was still to bat or kick the ball through the opposing team's goal, and the game was played in two 45-minute halves on fields 140 yards long and 70 yards wide. On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at
21996-479: The fourth consecutive year and played the #2 seed Clemson Tigers . In the third title game in four years against Clemson, Saban suffered his worst loss at Alabama, losing 44–16. Saban fell to 2–2 in CFP championship games . The Tide finished the season 14–1. To start Saban's thirteenth season, Alabama began the year ranked #2 in the AP and coaches poll. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game , Alabama defeated Duke 42–3. In
22184-434: The fourth straight season and won the SEC West. It was Saban's fifth division title at Alabama. In the 2014 SEC Championship Game , Saban won his 5th SEC title (3rd with Alabama) defeating #14 Missouri 42–13. It was Alabama's 24th SEC championship and first since 2012. Alabama was selected for the first College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed and played the No. 4 seed Ohio State in
22372-431: The game dates to at least the 1830s. All of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities. They remained largely "mob" style games, with huge numbers of players attempting to advance the ball into a goal area, often by any means necessary. Rules were simple, and violence and injury were common. The violence of these mob-style games led to widespread protests and a decision to abandon them. Yale , under pressure from
22560-422: The game, Auburn overcame a 24–0 second quarter Alabama lead, thus marking the largest deficit any team had overcome to defeat the Crimson Tide in its football program's history. Alabama was selected to play in the 2011 Capital One Bowl and in their first-ever meeting, Alabama defeated #7 Michigan State 49–7 in the largest margin of victory in that bowl game's history. The bowl victory brought Alabama to 10–3 on
22748-573: The game, in January 2020. Alabama has the most appearances in a College Football Playoff National Championship, with six, and also the most wins, with three. The College Football Playoff National Championship is not awarded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The highest level of college football that the NCAA awards a championship in is the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Cities across
22936-404: The game, though not always as intended. Princeton, in particular, used scrimmage play to slow the game, making incremental progress towards the end zone during each down . Rather than increase scoring, which had been Camp's original intent, the rule was exploited to maintain control of the ball for the entire game, resulting in slow, unexciting contests. At the 1882 rules meeting, Camp proposed that
23124-706: The head coaching position for the Miami Dolphins on December 25, 2004. He was the sixth coach in the franchise's history. The Nick Saban era officially kicked off with a 34–10 win over the Denver Broncos in 2005 . From there, however, the Dolphins struggled, losing seven of their next nine games to fall to 3–7. The two wins came over the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints , a game that took place in Tiger Stadium due to Hurricane Katrina . After
23312-400: The home opener, the Tide rolled New Mexico State 62–10. In their conference opener, Alabama traveled to Columbia, SC and defeated South Carolina 47–23. In their next game, Alabama defeated Southern Miss 49–7. Alabama, back in conference play, defeated Ole Miss 59–31. The next day, Alabama moved to #1 in the AP and Coaches poll. It was the twelfth year in a row Alabama was ranked at
23500-544: The inception of the AP Poll in 1936. Saban and Bear Bryant are the only coaches to win an SEC championship at two different schools. Saban's career record as a college head coach is 292–71–1. In 2013, Saban was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame . Saban coached four Heisman Trophy winners at Alabama: Mark Ingram II (2009), Derrick Henry (2015), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Bryce Young (2021). Saban
23688-468: The last two decades of the 19th century. Several major rivalries date from this time period. November 1890 was an active time in the sport. In Baldwin City, Kansas , on November 22, 1890, college football was first played in the state of Kansas . Baker beat Kansas 22–9. On the 27th, Vanderbilt played Nashville (Peabody) at Athletic Park and won 40–0. It was the first time organized football played in
23876-517: The mark of 11 wins set by the 1958 National Championship team. LSU finished the 2004 season 9–3, after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Capital One Bowl 30–25 on a final play touchdown pass. Other losses that season were on the road at Auburn 10–9, and a loss on the road to Georgia 45–16. At the end of the 2004 season , Saban left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins . Saban accepted
24064-493: The meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities, it agreed to a challenge to play the rugby team of McGill University , from Montreal , in a two-game series. It was agreed that two games would be played on Harvard's Jarvis baseball field in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 14 and 15, 1874: one to be played under Harvard rules, another under the stricter rugby regulations of McGill. Jarvis Field
24252-415: The meeting. The rules that they agreed upon were essentially those of rugby union at the time with the exception that points be awarded for scoring a try , not just the conversion afterwards ( extra point ). Incidentally, rugby was to make a similar change to its scoring system 10 years later. Walter Camp is widely considered to be the most important figure in the development of American football. As
24440-452: The mid-19th century. By the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as rugby football . The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges. The first documented gridiron football game was played at University College , a college of the University of Toronto , on November 9, 1861. One of
24628-635: The most in college football history. His first came when he led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship in 2003. He then coached the Alabama Crimson Tide to BCS and AP national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, and to College Football Playoff championships in 2015, 2017 and 2020. He became the first coach in college football history to win a national championship with two different Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools since
24816-710: The nearest college to play football. It took place at Hamilton Park in New Haven and was the first game in New England. The game was essentially soccer with 20-man sides, played on a field 400 by 250 feet. Yale wins 3–0, Tommy Sherman scoring the first goal and Lew Irwin the other two. After the first game against Harvard, Tufts took its squad to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine for the first football game played in Maine . This occurred on November 6, 1875. Penn 's Athletic Association
25004-503: The next game. In a back and forth game, the Aggies kicked a last second 28-yard field goal to upset the Tide 41–38. The loss snapped a 19-game win streak, an eight-game win streak against the Aggies, and a 100-game win streak against unranked opponents dating back to 2007. The next week, Alabama bounced back defeating Mississippi State 49–9. In the Third Saturday in October , Alabama defeated Tennessee 52–24 for its 15th consecutive win in
25192-603: The next year. He was torn between an admiration for Harvard's style of play and the misery of the Yale defeat, and became determined to avenge Yale's defeat. Spectators from Princeton also carried the game back home, where it quickly became the most popular version of football. On November 23, 1876, representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts to standardize
25380-522: The offense was anemic, with the only bright spot being running back Ronnie Brown , who gained over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. The Dolphins lost their next two games to the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets to finish 6–10, Saban's first losing season as a head coach. On November 27, 2006, the University of Alabama announced the firing of head coach Mike Shula . Saban was rumored to be at
25568-419: The participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was William Mulock , later chancellor of the school. A football club was formed at the university soon afterward, although its rules of play then are unclear. In 1864, at Trinity College , also a college of the University of Toronto, F. Barlow Cumberland and Frederick A. Bethune devised rules based on rugby football. Modern Canadian football
25756-424: The regular season 10-2 and was selected to play #9 Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl . In the first meeting between the two schools, Alabama won 45–20. The Tide finished the season 11–2. In Saban's 17th season, Alabama started the year ranked #4 in the preseason AP poll and #3 in the coaches poll. In the season opener, Alabama defeated Middle Tennessee 56–7. The following week, the Tide hosted #11 Texas in
25944-434: The regular season, Alabama finished ranked No. 3 in the final BCS rankings and earned an at-large bid to the 2014 Sugar Bowl . Alabama accepted an invitation to play in its third straight BCS bowl game and fifth in Saban's seven seasons at Alabama. In the Sugar Bowl , Alabama lost to #11 Oklahoma 45–31. This was Saban's second bowl loss at Alabama and first since the 2009 Sugar Bowl against Utah. The Tide finished
26132-482: The rules of their various public schools. The game was played at a Rutgers Field in New Brunswick, New Jersey . Two teams of 25 players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing team's goal. Throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed, but there was plenty of physical contact between players. The first team to reach six goals was declared the winner. Rutgers won by a score of six to four. A rematch
26320-615: The rules were changed to allow tackling below the waist, and in 1889, the officials were given whistles and stopwatches. After leaving Yale in 1882, Camp was employed by the New Haven Clock Company until his death in 1925. Though no longer a player, he remained a fixture at annual rules meetings for most of his life, and he personally selected an annual All-American team every year from 1889 through 1924. The Walter Camp Football Foundation continues to select All-American teams in his honor. College football expanded greatly during
26508-465: The rules were formulated before the game. Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. ( / ˈ s eɪ b ən / SAY -bən ; born October 31, 1951) is an American sportscaster and former professional and college football coach . He serves as an analyst for ESPN 's College GameDay , a television program covering college football. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest football coaches of all time. Saban served as head coach of
26696-570: The score of this contest. Washington and Lee also claims a 4 to 2 win over VMI in 1873. On October 18, 1888, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 6 to 4 in the first intercollegiate game in the state of North Carolina . On December 14, 1889, Wofford defeated Furman 5 to 1 in the first intercollegiate game in the state of South Carolina . The game featured no uniforms, no positions, and
26884-431: The scoring rules, finally arriving at four points for a touchdown, two points for kicks after touchdowns , two points for safeties, and five for field goals . Camp's innovations in the area of point scoring influenced rugby union's move to point scoring in 1890. In 1887, game time was set at two-halves of 45 minutes each. Also in 1887, two paid officials—a referee and an umpire —were mandated for each game. A year later,
27072-511: The season 11–2. In his 14th season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , Alabama's season was cut to an all conference, ten-game season beginning on September 26. Alabama began the season ranked #3 in the AP and Coaches Poll. In the season opener, Alabama went on the road and defeated Missouri 38–19. In the home opener, Alabama defeated #13 Texas A&M 52–24. The following week Saban took on former assistant Lane Kiffin . In
27260-704: The season 13–1. In this twelfth season, Alabama started the season ranked #1 in the AP and coaches poll for the third consecutive year. In the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando, Florida , the Tide defeated Louisville 51–14. In the home opener, the Tide dominated Arkansas State 57–7. In their conference opener against Ole Miss , the Crimson Tide won 62–7. The Tide defeated Jimbo Fisher and #22 Texas A&M 45–23. The following week, Alabama beat Louisiana 56–14. Alabama then went to Fayetteville and defeated Arkansas 65–31 for its 12th consecutive victory over
27448-516: The season and secured Alabama's third consecutive 10-win season. At the start of his fifth season , Alabama came into the season ranked No. 2 in the country in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. In the first game of the season, Alabama defeated Saban's alma mater Kent State 48–7. The next week, Alabama traveled to Penn State for the first time since 1989 and defeated Joe Paterno and #23 Nittany Lions 27–11. Alabama recorded its first shutout of
27636-417: The season at 11–2. Starting in his eighth season , Alabama began the year ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP and Coaches Poll for the third time in four years. It was the fifth straight season the Crimson Tide started the year in the top two and the seventh consecutive year in the top five. In the season opener, Alabama improved to 4–0 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game beating West Virginia 33–23 in
27824-455: The season by defeating North Texas 41–0. In the conference opener, Alabama defeated #12 Arkansas 38–14. The next week Alabama traveled to The Swamp and defeated the 12th-ranked Florida Gators 38–10. The following week at homecoming, Alabama shut out Vanderbilt , defeating them 34–0. Alabama traveled to Oxford and destroyed Ole Miss 52–7. In week 8, Alabama defeated their rival Tennessee 37–6 by scoring 31 unanswered points in
28012-453: The season to new conference member #15 Texas A&M 29–24. Alabama rebounded the following week recording its third shutout of the season defeating Western Carolina 49–0. The win secured Alabama's fifth consecutive 10-win season, tying the longest streak from 1971 to 1975. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama defeated Auburn 49–0 to secure its third SEC Western Division championship under Saban. It
28200-516: The season to rival #15 Auburn 48–45. It's the first time Saban has lost two games in the regular season since 2010 and didn't qualify for the College Football Playoff for the first time. Alabama finished the regular season at 10–2 and ranked thirteenth in the final College Football Playoff rankings. They were selected to face Jim Harbaugh and #14 Michigan in the Citrus Bowl . In the first meeting since 2012, The Tide won 35–16. The Tide finished
28388-630: The season with a 31–17 loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl to finish the season at 12–2. For his efforts during the season, Saban received several Coach of the Year awards. No. 5 Alabama began Saban's third year by defeating the No. 7 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, 34–24. The Crimson Tide followed up with wins over Florida International and North Texas . The following week Alabama won its conference opener over Arkansas , 35–7. In its fifth game of
28576-578: The season, when the Dolphins lost to the Houston Texans . He was eventually put on injured reserve . After starting the season 1–6, however, the Dolphins got hot. They won four straight games, including wins over the Chicago Bears , who were previously unbeaten and made it to the Super Bowl that year, and the Kansas City Chiefs . Suddenly, the Dolphins were back in the playoff hunt at 5–6, but
28764-422: The second consecutive year. LSU handed Saban his first loss of the season, 46–41 , snapping an eight-game winning streak against the Tigers. It also snapped Alabama's 31-home-game winning streak. The next week, Alabama defeated Mississippi State 38–7. On Senior day, the Tide dominated Western Carolina 66–3, securing Saban's 12th consecutive 10 win season. In the Iron Bowl , Saban suffered his second loss of
28952-544: The second half. After a bye week, Alabama played host to #1 LSU , losing in overtime 9–6 , a Game of the Century matchup between conference teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2. Alabama rebounded the next week after struggling in the first half, with a win over Mississippi State 24–7. The next week, Alabama defeated FCS 3rd ranked Georgia Southern 45–21 on Senior Day. This win gave Saban his fourth consecutive 10-win season, tying Bear Bryant from 1977 to 1980. In
29140-504: The series. Alabama traveled to College Station, TX winning a close game over Texas A&M 26–20. On homecoming, Alabama won a close game over Arkansas 24–21. The win gave Saban his 200th on field win at Alabama. In the Third Saturday in October , Alabama avenged last season's loss against #17 Tennessee winning 34–20. Following a bye week, Alabama avenged their other regular season loss from last season defeating #14 LSU 42–28. The next week Alabama defeated Kentucky 49–21 to win
29328-442: The series. Following the bye week, Alabama won a close game against LSU 20–14. Alabama wrapped up non-conference play against New Mexico State winning 59–3. On Senior day, Alabama won another close game over #21 Arkansas 42–35. The win secured Saban his eleventh SEC West title at Alabama. The win gave him his 14th consecutive 10-win season, tying Bobby Bowden for most all time. In the Iron Bowl , Alabama played Auburn in
29516-433: The seventh consecutive season Alabama has reached the top spot. Alabama suffered their first loss of the season losing to #11 Ole Miss 23–17 which ended a 10-game win streak against the Rebels. In Saban's 100th game with the Tide, Alabama bounced back, narrowly defeating Arkansas 14–13 for its eighth consecutive victory in the series. The next week the Tide dominated #21 Texas A&M shutting them out 59–0 which
29704-427: The sheer number of fans following major colleges provides a financial equalizer for the game, with Division I programs – the highest level – playing in huge stadiums, six of which have seating capacity exceeding 100,000 people. In many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests (although many stadiums do have a small number of chair back seats in addition to
29892-515: The start of his fourth season , Alabama was overwhelmingly chosen as the preseason No. 1 team in both the AP and Coaches Poll. It was the first time since 1978 that the Crimson Tide started the season ranked No. 1. In the season opener in front a record crowd of 101,821, Alabama defeated San Jose State , 48–3. The following week, the Tide defeated Joe Paterno and the #23 Penn State 24–3 in their first meeting since 1990. The next week against Duke , Mark Ingram II made his first start of
30080-406: The start of his sixth season , Alabama came into the season ranked No. 2 in both preseason polls for the second consecutive year. Alabama opened the season at Cowboys Stadium against #8 Michigan in the first meeting between the schools since the 2000 Orange Bowl with Alabama winning 41–14. The next week, Alabama moved up to No. 1 in both polls, marking the fifth consecutive year
30268-487: The state of Tennessee . The 29th also saw the first instance of the Army–Navy Game . Navy won 24–0. Rutgers was first to extend the reach of the game. An intercollegiate game was first played in the state of New York when Rutgers played Columbia on November 2, 1872. It was also the first scoreless tie in the history of the fledgling sport. Yale football starts the same year and has its first match against Columbia,
30456-440: The third time in Saban's career at Alabama and first since 2009. In the SEC Championship , Alabama defeated #15 Florida in a rematch of the previous season's title game, 54–16. The win gave Alabama its 26th SEC title, 5th for Saban at Alabama and 7th overall for his career. This was Alabama's third straight conference championship, the first time it had won three straight SEC titles since 1977–1979, and its first three-peat since
30644-501: The top five ranked conference champions, and the top 7 ranked at-large teams in the country that are selected by a playoff committee, which was established as a successor to the Bowl Championship Series and then its similar BCS National Championship Game . The participating teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship are determined by two semifinal games, hosted by an annual rotation of bowls commonly known as
30832-434: The top of Alabama's wish list, but Saban refused to discuss the job while his NFL season was still underway. During the month of December 2006, Saban was repeatedly questioned by the media about the Alabama job, and he repeatedly denied the rumors in his weekly press conferences, stating on December 21 "I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach." Saban met with Alabama officials on January 1, 2007, which
31020-404: The top spot at some point during a season. Following a bye week, Alabama traveled to College Station, TX and defeated #24 Texas A&M 47–28. In the Third Saturday in October , the Tide picked up its 13th win a row over Tennessee 35–13. On homecoming, Alabama got its 13th consecutive win over Arkansas 48–7. After a second bye week, Alabama took on #2 LSU in a matchup of top-3 teams for
31208-466: The two schools organized a game for October 23, 1869, but it was rained out. Students of the University of Virginia were playing pickup games of the kicking-style of football as early as 1870, and some accounts even claim it organized a game against Washington and Lee College in 1871; but no record has been found of the score of this contest. Due to scantiness of records of the prior matches some will claim Virginia v. Pantops Academy November 13, 1887, as
31396-431: The victory and improving the team's record to 8–0. After a bye week, Alabama clinched its second straight SEC West Division championship by knocking off LSU , 24–15. The next week Alabama defeated Mississippi State , 31–3, securing the second straight 10-win season for Alabama. Following a 45–0 shutout of Chattanooga , on Black Friday , Alabama came from behind to defeat Gene Chizik 's Auburn Tigers , 26–21, marking
31584-597: The year 7–6. During his second year as head coach of the Tide, Saban led his team from a sub-par season in 2007 to a perfect 12–0 regular season record. Saban finished the regular season undefeated for the first time in his career as a head coach as he led the Crimson Tide to its first undefeated regular season since 1994 . He appeared on the September 1, 2008, cover of Forbes magazine as "The Most Powerful Coach in Sports." His second season as Alabama head coach began with
31772-486: The year the game was actually played (or will be played ; future games are denoted through italics ) rather than what NCAA season it is considered to have been. Rankings are from the CFP Poll released prior to matchup. ‡ Attendance at the January 2021 game was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . Source: Updated through the January 2024 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances). Updated through
31960-556: The year, Alabama beat Kentucky , 38–20. The sixth game of the season featured a hard-fought defensive battle with Bama defeating Ole Miss , 22–3. The seventh game was the same as Alabama defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks , 20–6. The next day, Alabama moved up to No. 1 in the AP poll for the second straight year. The next week Alabama defeated Tennessee 12–10. Terrence Cody blocked Tennessee's game-winning field goal attempt with four seconds left, sealing
32148-446: Was Saban's eighth consecutive victory over LSU. The win gave Alabama their 900th win in program history. The Tide shutout #18 Mississippi State 24–0, the second consecutive shutout of a conference opponent for first time since 1980. The win secured Saban his 11th straight 10-win season. The Tide defeated FCS opponent The Citadel 50–17. In the Iron Bowl , Alabama avenged the previous season's only loss, to rival Auburn , defeating
32336-473: Was also the first time one team scored over 100 points and the opposing team was shut out. The next week, Princeton outscored Lafayette 140 to 0. The first intercollegiate game in the state of Vermont happened on November 6, 1886, between Dartmouth and Vermont at Burlington, Vermont . Dartmouth won 91 to 0. Penn State played its first season in 1887, but had no head coach for their first five years, from 1887 to 1891. The teams played its home games on
32524-503: Was at the time a patch of land at the northern point of the Harvard campus, bordered by Everett and Jarvis Streets to the north and south, and Oxford Street and Massachusetts Avenue to the east and west. Harvard beat McGill in the "Boston Game" on the Thursday and held McGill to a 0–0 tie on the Friday. The Harvard students took to the rugby rules and adopted them as their own, The games featured
32712-499: Was born in Fairmont, West Virginia , to Mary and Nick Lou Saban Sr. His parents owned a small service station and his father founded and coached a youth football team. He grew up with a sister, Dianna, and graduated from Monongah High School in the small coal mining community of Monongah, West Virginia , about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Morgantown . Saban is of Croatian ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Stanko Saban,
32900-787: Was born in 1895 in Gospić , in the Lika region of Croatia . Stanko emigrated to Portland, Oregon , in 1908, when he was 13 years old. He later married Anna Mihalic, of Croatian-American heritage. Saban played quarterback on the 1968 West Virginia state championship team. Among his teammates were Kerry Marbury , who went on to star for the West Virginia Mountaineers and play in the Canadian Football League . On December 18, 1971, Saban married Terry Constable, also from West Virginia. In 1973, he graduated from Kent State University with
33088-527: Was felt they would dominate the Association. Penn State won the championship with a 4–1–0 record. Bucknell's record was 3–1–1 (losing to Franklin & Marshall and tying Dickinson). The Association was dissolved prior to the 1892 season. The first nighttime football game was played in Mansfield, Pennsylvania on September 28, 1892, between Mansfield State Normal and Wyoming Seminary and ended at halftime in
33276-556: Was looking to pick "a twenty" to play a game of football against Columbia. This "twenty" never played Columbia, but did play twice against Princeton. Princeton won both games 6 to 0. The first of these happened on November 11, 1876, in Philadelphia and was the first intercollegiate game in the state of Pennsylvania . Brown entered the intercollegiate game in 1878. The first game where one team scored over 100 points happened on October 25, 1884, when Yale routed Dartmouth 113–0. It
33464-542: Was played at Princeton a week later under Princeton's own set of rules (one notable difference was the awarding of a "free kick" to any player that caught the ball on the fly, which was a feature adopted from The Football Association's rules; the fair catch kick rule has survived through to modern American game). Princeton won that game by a score of 8 – 0. Columbia joined the series in 1870 and by 1872 several schools were fielding intercollegiate teams, including Yale and Stevens Institute of Technology . Columbia University
33652-535: Was selected for the College Football Playoff for the fifth year in a row. They were selected as the #1 seed for the third time and played the #4 seed Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl . In the first meeting since the 2014 Sugar Bowl , the Tide ended a three-game losing streak to Oklahoma, winning 45–34. It was Alabama's first Orange Bowl win since 1966 . The Tide advanced to the National Championship game for
33840-513: Was selected to the College Football Playoff and represented as the #2 seed. On December 12, running back Derrick Henry became Saban's second player to win the Heisman Trophy . In the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl , Alabama shut out the #3 seed Michigan State , 38–0. The win was Alabama's first in the College Football Playoff and marked Alabama's first appearance in
34028-463: Was shortly after the Dolphins' season-ending loss to the Indianapolis Colts . On January 3, 2007, following a meeting with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga , Saban announced that he had accepted an offer to become Alabama 's 27th head coach. His initial eight-year contract totaling US$ 32 million made him one of the highest-paid football coaches, professional or collegiate , in
34216-590: Was the 1881 Michigan team , which played at Harvard, Yale and Princeton. The nation's first college football league, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (also known as the Western Conference), a precursor to the Big Ten Conference , was founded in 1895. Led by coach Fielding H. Yost , Michigan became the first "western" national power. From 1901 to 1905, Michigan had
34404-474: Was the 11th consecutive victory over the Vols, tying the record set back from 1971 to 1981. Following the bye week, Alabama won its seventh consecutive game over rival #19 LSU 24–10. Alabama then traveled to Starkville and escaped with a 31–24 win over #18 Mississippi State . The win secured Saban's tenth consecutive season with ten or more wins. On Senior Day, Alabama dominated FCS opponent Mercer 56–0. The win gave Saban's senior class its 51st win, tying
34592-588: Was the first game west of the Mississippi River . November 30, 1905, saw Chicago defeat Michigan 2 to 0. Dubbed "The First Greatest Game of the Century", it broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years. Organized collegiate football was first played in the state of Virginia and the south on November 2, 1873, in Lexington between Washington and Lee and VMI . Washington and Lee won 4–2. Some industrious students of
34780-424: Was the first time since the 1980 season that Alabama held the top spot during the regular season. The Tide took their No. 1 ranking into Baton Rouge, Louisiana , and came out with a 27–21 overtime victory over LSU . With the win, Alabama clinched its first SEC Western Division championship since 1999 and guaranteed the team a trip to the 2008 SEC Championship Game . The Tide then improved to 11–0 with
34968-519: Was the tenth season in a row that Alabama was #1 at some point during the season and fourth time to start the season under Saban. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in a matchup of top-three teams, Alabama beat #3 Florida State 24–7. Alabama improved to 5–0 in Chick-fil-A games and Saban improved to 11–0 against former assistant coaches. In the home opener, the Tide defeated Fresno State 41–10. The next week Alabama defeated Colorado State 41–23. In
35156-488: Was the third school to field a team. The Lions traveled from New York City to New Brunswick on November 12, 1870, and were defeated by Rutgers 6 to 3. The game suffered from disorganization and the players kicked and battled each other as much as the ball. Later in 1870, Princeton and Rutgers played again with Princeton defeating Rutgers 6–0. This game's violence caused such an outcry that no games at all were played in 1871. Football came back in 1872, when Columbia played Yale for
35344-410: Was then hired as an assistant for the Houston Oilers in the National Football League . Saban began his career as a head coach when he was hired by the University of Toledo on December 22, 1989. Coming off of 6–5 seasons in both 1988 and 1989 , the Rockets found quick success under Nick Saban in 1990 . With a 9–2 season, Toledo was co-champion of the Mid-American Conference . The two games
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