The 10 Greatest College Football Teams Coached by Nick Saban

Nick Saban’s fourth year in Tuscaloosa was disappointing for the Crimson Tide. In a year where they were defending an undefeated national title, the Tide won their first five of the year before falling by two touchdowns at South Carolina in early October. They lost again at LSU on the first weekend of November, then dropped the Iron Bowl game by a single point at home against Auburn. They redeemed the year in the postseason by routing Saban’s former team Michigan State 49-7 in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day.

A loaded defense featured Marcell Dareus on the line, Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw at linebacker, and a slew of secondary stars like Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick. Greg McElroy had not just Marquise Maze but also Julio Jones to catch his passes, and the backfield featured not returning 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram but also Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. It was one of just three times so far that Saban has failed to reach the SEC championship game during his time at Alabama.