Who is the best Alabama football team of all time? Round 1: 2020 vs 1925
The question that has been on the mind of every Crimson Tide fan — what is the best Alabama football team of all time?
It is time to let the fans decide.
Beginning today through May 27, AL.com will be running a series of polls allowing fans to vote for which team they think would win matchups between of the best 16 teams to ever play at Alabama.
Voting will take place May 15-18 for Round 1, May 18-21 for the quarterfinals, May 21-24 for the semifinals and May 24-27 for the championship, exclusively on AL.com.
Check out all of the first round matchups below and cast your votes!
#1 seed 2009 vs #16 seed 1934:
2009 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 14-0 (8-0 SEC), SEC Champions, BCS National Champions
· Notable Wins: #7 Virginia Tech (34-24), #20 Ole Miss (22-3), #9 LSU (24-15), #1 Florida (32-13), #2 Texas (37-21)
· Notable Players: Mark Ingram (Heisman Trophy Winner), Julio Jones, Terrence Cody, Marcell Dareus, Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas
1934 Team:
· Coach: Frank Thomas
· Record: 10-0 (7-0 SEC), SEC Co-Champion, Rose Bowl Champions, National Champions (Five of the 13 selectors recognized as official by the NCAA recognize the 1934 Alabama team as the national champion)
· Notable Wins: Tennessee (13-6), Georgia (26-6), Clemson (40-0), Stanford (29-13)
· Notable Players: Bill Lee, Paul Bear Bryant, Tilden “Happy” Campbell, Dixie Howell, Don Hutson
#8 seed 2014 vs #9 seed 1979
2014 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 12-2 (7-1 SEC), SEC Champions, CFP Appearance
· Notable Wins: #21 Texas A&M (59-0), #14 LSU (20-13), #1 Mississippi State (25-20), #16 Missouri (42-13)
· Notable Players: Amari Cooper, TJ Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Landon Collins, Kenyan Drake, O.J. Howard
1979 Team:
· Coach: Paul Bear Bryant
· Record: 12-0 (6-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Sugar Bowl Champions, Consensus National Champions
· Notable Wins: #18 Tennessee (27-17), #14 Auburn (25-18), #6 Arkansas (24-9)
· Notable Players: Steadman Shealy, Steve Whitman, Don McNeal, Jim Bunch, Dwight Stephenson
#4 seed 2011 vs # 13 seed 1966:
2011 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 12-1 (7-1 SEC), BCS National Champions
· Notable Wins: #23 Penn State (27-11), #14 Arkansas (38-14), #12 Florida (38-10), #1 LSU (21-0)
· Notable Players: A.J. McCarron, Trent Richardson, Josh Chapman, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Dont’a Hightower, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick
1966 Team:
· Coach: Paul Bear Bryant
· Record: 11-0 (6-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Orange Bowl Champions
· Notable Wins: Clemson (26-0), LSU (21-0), Auburn (31-0), #6 Nebraska (34-7)
· Notable Players: Kenny Stabler, Ray Perkins, Cecil Dowdy, Dicky Thompson
#5 seed 1992 vs #12 seed 2017
1992 Team:
· Coach: Gene Stallings
· Record: 13-0 (8-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Sugar Bowl Champions, Consensus National Champions
· Notable Wins: #13 Tennessee (17-10), #16 Mississippi State (30-21), #12 Florida (28-21), #1 Miami (34-13)
· Notable Players: John Copeland, Eric Curry, Jay Barker, Lemanski Hall, Antonio Langham, Derrick Lassic
2017 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 13-1 (7-1 SEC), Sugar Bowl Champions, CFP National Champions
· Notable Wins: #3 Florida State (24-7), #19 LSU (24-10), #16 Mississippi State (31-24), #1 Clemson (24-6), #3 Georgia (26-23)
· Notable Players: Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Calvin Ridley, Darron Payne, Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeVonta Smith, Damien Harris,
#2 seed 2020 vs #15 seed 1925
2020 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 13-0 (10-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Cotton Bowl Champions, CFP National Champions
· Notable Wins: #3 Georgia (41-21), #7 Florida (52-46), #4 Notre Dame (31-14), #3 Ohio State (52-24)
· Notable Players: Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith (Heisman Trophy Winner), Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Surtain II, Alex Leatherwood
1925 Team:
· Coach: Wallace Wade
· Record: 10-0 (7-0 SoCon), Southern Conference Champions, Rose Bowl Champions, National Champions
· Notable Wins: LSU (42-0), Georgia Tech (7-0), Florida (34-0), #6 Georgia (27-0), Washington (20-19)
· Notable Players: Johnny Mack Brown, Pooley Hubert, Bill Buckler
#7 seed 1961 vs #10 seed 1978
1961 Team:
· Coach: Paul Bear Bryant
· Record: 11-0 (7-0 SEC), SEC Co-Champions, Sugar Bowl Champions, Associated Press National Champions
· Notable Wins: Georgia (32-6), Georgia Tech (10-0), Auburn (34-0), #9 Arkansas (10-3)
· Notable Players: Billy Neighbors, Pat Trammell, Lee Roy Jordan, Butch Wilson
1978 Team:
· Coach: Paul Bear Bryant
· Record: 11-1 (6-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Sugar Bowl Champions, Consensus National Champions
· Notable Wins: #10 Nebraska (20-3), #11 Missouri (38-20), #10 LSU (31-10), #1 Penn State (14-7)
· Notable Players: Barry Krauss, Marty Lyons, Tony Nathan, Jeff Rutledge, Wayne Hamilton, Dwight Stephenson
#3 seed 2015 vs #14 seed 1965
2015 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 14-1 (7-1 SEC), SEC Champions, Cotton Bowl Champions, CFP National Champions
· Notable Wins: #20 Wisconsin (35-17), #8 Georgia (38-10), #9 Texas A&M (41-23), #2 LSU (30-16), #3 Michigan State (38-0), #1 Clemson (45-40)
· Notable Players: Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard, Calvin Ridley, Reuben Foster, Reggie Ragland, Marlon Humphrey, Jarran Reed
1965 Team:
· Coach: Paul Bear Bryant
· Record: 9-1-1 (6-1-1 SEC), SEC Champions, Orange Bowl Champions, Associated Press National Champions
· Notable Wins: Florida State (21-0), LSU (31-7), Auburn (30-3), #3 Nebraska (39-28)
· Notable Players: Paul Crane, Steve Sloan, Steve Bowman, Creed Gilmer, Tommy Tolleson
#6 seed 2012 vs #11 seed 2018:
2012 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 13-1 (7-1 SEC), SEC Champions, BCS National Champions
· Notable Wins: #8 Michigan (41-14), #13 Mississippi State (38-7), #5 LSU (21-17), #3 Georgia (32-28), #1 Notre Dame (42-14)
· Notable Players: A.J. McCarron, Eddie Lacy, Amari Cooper, D.J. Fluker, Dee Milliner, C.J. Mosley, Chance Warmack
2018 Team:
· Coach: Nick Saban
· Record: 14-1 (8-0 SEC), SEC Champions, Orange Bowl Champions
· Notable Wins: Louisville (51-14), #22 Texas A&M (45-23), #16 Mississippi State (24-0) #3 LSU (29-0), #4 Georgia (35-28), #4 Oklahoma (45-34)
· Notable Players: Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Mack Wilson, Trevon Diggs, Quinnen Williams
Patrick Bird is a Social Media Content Producer for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @pbird02.