5 moments that defined the 2023 Alabama football season
The 2023 college football season was a memorable one for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The team took a strange journey on its way to an SEC championship and a birth in the College Football Playoff, but here they are in prime position to win their seventh national championship under Coach Saban.
Alabama’s matchup with the Michigan Wolverines is still nearly three weeks away which means we still have time to reflect on how the Crimson Tide got to where they are.
Let’s take a look back at the top five moments that defined the 2023 season for the Alabama football team.
Losing to Texas in Week 2
Alabama’s Week 2 loss to Texas was a gut-check moment for the Crimson Tide. Losing at home by double digits is never an easy pill to swallow. Not to take anything away from the Longhorns, but Alabama did a lot to beat themselves in that matchup and Texas took advantage. Alabama committed two turnovers and had 10 penalties for 90 yards, including two penalties that cost the Tide touchdowns.
Alabama was at a crossroads, and things really got interesting in South Florida the next week.
Jalen Milroe being benched against South Florida
Not only was this a defining moment for this particular Alabama football team, but also quarterback Jalen Milroe. Milroe would sit on the bench and watch as Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson struggled to move the ball against a far inferior opponent in USF. Milroe’s actions in that game showed the coaches that he had the leadership qualities they were looking for and as they say, the rest is history.
What Milroe would accomplish the remainder of the season happened in large part because of his attitude in Week 3 when he was benched.
The comeback against Tennessee
Alabama’s season goals were looking bleak after the first 30 minutes of action against Tennessee as the Tide trailed 20-7 at the end of the first half at home to the Volunteers. Then, in true Coach Saban fashion, the Crimson Tide made adjustments and completely dominated the Vols in the second half outscoring them 27-0.
Alabama displayed championship-worthy composure when the chips were down, and with the win over the Vols, an SEC championship birth was drawing closer.
4th and goal at Auburn
Alabama’s miracle against Auburn in the Iron Bowl will go down as one of the most clutch plays in Alabama football history. Alabama played poorly down on the Plains but once again showed elite composure in a hostile environment to come away with the improbable win.
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good and to win a championship, some good fortune has to come your way.
Winning the SEC Championship
All that Alabama football players and fans have heard over the past two seasons is that the Alabama-Saban dynasty is over and there is a new king of college football in Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. Alabama was given the opportunity to silence their critics in Atlanta against the Dawgs in the SEC Championship and they did just that with their 27-24 victory.
Georgia is a great program with an elite coach, but in their back-to-back seasons of being national champs, Smart and the Bulldogs were just 1-2 against Saban and the Tide.
Alabama’s win over Georgia cemented the Tide’s place in this year’s College Football Playoff and given what this team has persevered through this season, you have to like their odds at winning the whole thing.
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