1978 (No. 2 Coaches, No. 1 AP, 11-1)
Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide opened the year as the top-ranked team in the country. They looked like the No. 1 team with victories over No. 10 Nebraska and No. 11 Missouri, but then finished off a murderous run of early season games by falling to seventh-ranked USC by a final of 24-14.
Alabama bounced back from the loss by ripping off eight straight victories, climbing back into the No.2 ranking following a dominating Iron Bowl victory over Auburn.
The Tide were then invited to play the first-ranked, undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions in the Sugar Bowl. It would become one of the most legendary games in Alabama history.
It was a slugfest from the outset. Alabama took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter following a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Rutledge. Penn State answered with a Chuck Fusina 17-yard score in the third quarter. Alabama regained the lead late in the third quarter on a Major Ogilvie run, and a classic game was playing out in New Orleans.
The fourth quarter was a titanic battle of defenses, with neither team able to pull away from the other. Then an errant pitch from Jeff Rutledge to Major Ogilvie late in the fourth was dropped. Penn State pounced on the ball deep in Alabama territory, and it appeared the game was over.
Penn State drove all the way to the Alabama goal line, and it was this sequence that became one of the highlights of Alabama football history.
On second-and-goal Fusina found what seemed to be a wide open receiver at the three-yard line, but All-America cornerback Don McNeal made a perfect hit on the receiver, knocking him out at the one. Penn State coach Joe Paterno made the call to straight up the gut on the third down, but Penn State was stuffed, bringing up fourth down, and a play for the ages.
Penn State QB Chuck Fusina looked down at the ball and asked Alabama linebacker Marty Lyons how far from the goal it seemed. “About a foot,” Lyons said, adding, “you better pass.”
On fourth down, Penn State once again attempted to plunge right up the gut, but Tide linebacker Barry Kraus delivered a bone crunching hit at the goal line, securing the victory.
Following the game, the Associated Press crowned Alabama the national champions, but the Coaches Poll crowned the USC Trojans, due to their having defeating Alabama earlier in the year.