Alabama-Florida SEC Championship Postgame Notebook

Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 105-6 (.963) when leading at the half. Alabama led Florida, 33-16, at the half today and now has held the lead at the break in 22 of its last 28 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season, including 11 of 13 games this season.

Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision, having won 25 consecutive games dating back to last season (a loss on Sept. 19, 2015, vs. Ole Miss). The 25-game streak is the third-longest in Alabama and SEC history (28 games twice: 1991-93 & 1978-80) and is the longest under the direction of head coach Nick Saban (previous long: 19 games in 2009-10). During this stretch, the Crimson Tide have won 12 games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, eight straight road matchups and five consecutive neutral-site contests while going 17-0 against teams from the Southeastern Conference. Alabama has outscored its opponents by 596 points (944-310; 37.8-12.4), an average of 25.4 points per game, during the streak.

With the win over Auburn, Alabama has reached the 13-win mark for the fourth time in school history (1992, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016) and the third time under Nick Saban. Alabama has now won 13 or more games in a season five times (including 14-win seasons in 2009 and 2015), the most by any school in college football history.

Alabama has played 72 games as the nation’s top-ranked team since the inception of the Associated Press poll in 1936. In those games, the Crimson Tide boasts a 62-10 (.861) record. Those numbers get even more impressive when you look at the 10 seasons under the direction of head coach Nick Saban(2007-present). Since the ninth game of the 2008 season (114 games), Alabama has played 48 games while being ranked No. 1, posting a 43-5 (.896) record during that span.

With the win over No. 15 Florida today, Alabama has won 15 straight games vs. ranked opponents, the longest streak since Southern California won 16 straight from 2002-05 under Pete Carroll and the third-longest run of all-time. The current streak began at Georgia (Oct. 3) last season with a 38-10 win over the No. 8 Bulldogs in Athens. In those 15 games, the Tide is 7-0 against top-10 teams and 3-0 vs. the top five (LSU, Michigan State and Clemson). The Tide’s last loss to a top-25 team was Sept. 19, 2015, against Ole Miss (37-43).

SABAN’S 48th GAME AS AP No. 1 AT ALABAMA: Today’s game with Florida was Nick Saban’s 48th career game coaching Alabama as the Associated Press No. 1 team, the most games coached as No 1 at one school. At 43-5 (.896), Saban has won more games coaching a No. 1 team at one school than any other coach in college football history. Woody Hayes (Ohio State) and Bobby Bowden (Florida State) are tied for second with 40 wins each. Bowden was 40-5 as No. 1 and Hayes went 40-4-1. Saban accomplished the feat in his 10th season at Alabama while Bowden spent 34 seasons at FSU and Hayes was at OSU for 28. The Crimson Tide have been ranked No. 1 in 35.3 percent of their 136 games under Saban. Florida State was No. 1 in 10.8 percent of Bowden’s 417 games and Ohio State was No. 1 in 16.7 percent of the 276 games coached by Hayes.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban owns a 104-26 (.800) career record in 130 games against SEC opponents. While at Alabama, he has compiled a 74-13 (.851) record versus conference foes, and is outscoring opponents by a staggering 3,454-1,328, or 39.7-15.3 points per game. Of his 13 losses against SEC opponents while at Alabama, all but two (Florida, 2008 and South Carolina, 2010) have been by seven points or less. Saban’s first matchup with an SEC team came in the 1995 Independence Bowl against LSU, where his Michigan State Spartans fell, 45-26, to the Tigers. He would later go on to coach LSU to 30-12 overall record against conference opponents.

SABAN VS. AP TOP 25: Alabama’s win over Florida today gives head coach Nick Saban 71 career wins vs. Associated Press Top 25 teams, good for third all-time. Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno leads the list with 86, four victories ahead of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (82). Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant is fourth at 66. Recently retired Duke, Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is fifth at 64. Saban’s winning percentage against AP ranked teams (71-37, .657) tops Bryant (.592), Bowden (.557), Spurrier (.529) and Paterno (.512).

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 8-4 in his career against the Florida Gators, including a 3-1 mark in SEC Championship Games. He owns a 6-1 mark at Alabama with his only loss coming in the 2008 SEC Championship, 31-20. His LSU teams went a combined 2-3 from 2000-04.

Saturday’s SEC Championship Game was the 55th for members of Alabama’s senior class. The group boasts a four-year record of 50-5 (.909) and one national championship. The 50 wins equals the NCAA record of 50 wins held by the senior classes of Alabama (2015), Ohio State (2015) and Boise State (2011).

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts is the first true freshman to start at quarterback for any team in the history of the SEC Championship Game.

The Crimson Tide is 23-7-1 (.758) in domed stadiums, including a 14-2 mark since 2009 and 15-4 in Nick Saban’s tenure. The Tide opened the 2016 season with a 52-6 win over USC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Alabama had four appearances in domes last season, including the season opener against Wisconsin and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against Michigan State – both of which were at AT&T Stadium. Alabama also defeated Florida at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to claim the program’s 25th SEC title, and defeated Clemson at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., to win the school’s 16th national championship.

Alabama is now 82-48-4 (.627) in neutral site contests. The list includes all Alabama-Auburn games not played on campus, including Legion Field from 1948-88. The Crimson Tide opened the 2016 season with a 52-6 win over USC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Alabama played four neutral site games last season, opening the year with a 35-17 win over Wisconsin in the AdvoCare Classic in Arlington. In the postseason, UA claimed its 25th SEC championship with its 29-15 win over Florida in Atlanta, and followed that with a 38-0 win over Michigan State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Alabama capped the season with a 45-40 win over Clemson in the CFP Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Crimson Tide is 15-4 in neutral site games during head coach Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama.