Surprising to no one, Alabama’s playing for yet another college football national championship. Nick Saban continues to add to the Crimson Tide trophy case year in and year out, and they’re ready to add some more hardware this season.
How many national championships does Alabama have?
This answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. People blame UCF for claiming a national championship back in 2017, but teams like Alabama have been claiming national championships long before that. Some will say Alabama has 18, but if you include any championship claimed or credited, the Tide currently sits at 23 championships to their name. That’s the most among FBS schools.
Only two teams have more than Alabama: Princeton (28) and Yale (27). If Nick Saban sticks around for a while, even those numbers could be in jeopardy. Winning multiple titles isn’t just a Saban thing, though. Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, and Paul “Bear” Bryant all brought home multiple titles for the Tide. Saban’s just the most recent coach to do so, and he’s ready to become the best ever.
Nick Saban’s dominance with Alabama football
Saban currently holds the record for most national championships for a head coach with seven titles. He’s won six with Alabama and one with LSU. One more win and he passes Bryant for most titles with the Tide. His arrival to Tuscaloosa 15 years ago started one of the greatest dynasties this sport has ever seen.
His seven championships are more than 120 other FBS schools. In the 21st century, only three other schools have won more than one championship: LSU (3), Clemson (2), and Florida (2). Since 2009, Alabama’s played in eight national championships and missed just four. Saban has found different ways to win in each of his championships, and he can do it again this year to add to his impressive résumé.
Are the Crimson Tide truly underdogs in the title game?
One intriguing theme this year has been Alabama football players labeling themselves as an underdog. Bryce Young infamously stated that he’s been “doubted his whole life,” and Will Anderson Jr. declared the Tide the underdog against Cincinnati despite being nearly a two-touchdown favorite. Now, they’re actually the underdog.
For the first time in Nick Saban’s tenure, the Tide are an underdog in a national championship game. Prior to the game, Alabama’s only been an underdog 10 times ever under Saban. Thus, they enter uncharted territory in the biggest game of their season, and they must find a way to embrace that challenge to win yet another title.
Georgia was favored in the SEC Championship Game this year. Alabama beat them. Now, they face a Bulldogs team out for revenge. Beating a team twice isn’t easy. Doing so while being the underdog both times makes things even tougher. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the best college football coach ever find a way to win. After all, Saban knows how to win national championships at Alabama. So we really shouldn’t be shocked.