Alabama Football: Lots of buzz about ’20 Tide as CFB’s best team ever

10-0, 1945 Alabama Crimson Tide

The lone, Alabama football victory in 1945, over a ranked team, was in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide beat No. 11 ranked Southern Cal, 34-14. The final poll in 1945 was before the bowl games.
The Crimson Tide finished No. 2 in the AP Poll, behind Army.

The poll was final before bowl games again in 1961. In the Sugar Bowl, the Crimson Tide beat its only ranked team of the season; Arkansas at No. 9, in a 10-3 victory.
Alabama Football was awarded the National Championship.

In the Sugar Bowl, the Crimson Tide beat No. 6, Nebraska, 34-7.
The polls were still final before the bowl games. The Crimson Tide was the only undefeated, untied team and finished No. 3, behind once-tied, Notre Dame and Michigan State.

In the regular season, the Tide beat No. 18 Tennessee and No. No. 14 Auburn. The Vols were not ranked at the end of the season and the Tigers finished No. 16.
In the Sugar Bowl, Alabama beat No. 6 Arkansas. The Hogs were No. 8 in the final poll.
As the nation’s only undefeated team, the Crimson Tide was the National Champion.

In the regular season, Alabama beat No. 13 Tennessee, No. 16 Mississippi State. The Tide beat No. 12 Florida in the SEC Championship game. The Volos finished the season No.13, the Bulldogs finished No. 23 and the Gators finished No. 10.
In the Sugar Bowl, No. 2 ranked Alabama beat No. 1 ranked Miami for the National Championship. The Canes were No. 3 in the final poll.

In the season opener, the Tide beat No. 7 Virginia Tech. The Hokies finished ranked No. 10. Also in the regular season, the Tide beat No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 South Carolina and No. 9 LSU. Ole Miss finished No. 20, the Gamecocks finished unranked and LSU finished No. 17.
In the SEC Championship game, Alabama beat No. 1 Florida. The Gators finished No. 3.
In the BCS National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide beat No.2 Texas. The Longhorns were also No. 2 in the final poll.

Based on the history shown above, the 2009 Alabama football team was the Tide’s best ever going into Monday night.