The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 115th overall season, 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 18th within the SEC Western Division. The team was led by head coach Nick Saban, in his third year, and played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They finished the season undefeated with a record of 14–0 (8–0 in the SEC) and as National Champions.
Looking to build on the successes of the 2008 campaign, Alabama entered the 2009 season as the favorite to win the Western Division and meet the Florida Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. Alabama closed the regular season with a 12–0 record including four wins against Top 25-ranked teams—and met the Gators for the SEC Championship in a rematch of the 2008 contest. Alabama was victorious by a final score of 32–13. The following day, final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings were unveiled. No. 1 ranked Alabama would meet No. 2 ranked Texas for the BCS National Championship. In the BCS National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 37–21 to capture their first-ever BCS Championship.
Alabama earned their third SEC championship since the inception of the SEC Championship Game in 1992, and their 22nd SEC title. The victory over Texas gave Alabama their 13th national championship in football (their eighth wire service title since the AP Poll began in 1936) and their ninth perfect season since 1925. The season included victories over the previous three national champions: Florida, Louisiana State University (LSU), and Texas.
The season marked the first time a player for Alabama won the Heisman Trophy: Mark Ingram won the award over Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. Other award winners included Rolando McClain, who won the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Award, and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. Also, six players were named to various All-America Teams with Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson, and Javier Arenas being consensus selections and Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections.
Read more about 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team: Before The Season, Schedule, Depth Chart, Coaching Staff, Rankings, After The Season
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Love—and chains are broken.”
—Langston Hughes (20th century)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)