Looking back at the Nick Saban Era

3 of 3

2015 - Jan. 11, 2016 - CFB Playoff Championship, Glendale, AZ - The season before Nick Saban had brought in Lane Kiffin to modernize the Crimson Tide offense. Without Saban's decision and the expertise of Kiffin, Alabama would not have outscored Clemson that night in the desert. The Crimson Tide won 45-40. Clemson's Deshaun Watson passed for 405 yards but it was not enough. After an Alabama touchdown tied the game at 24, Saban's decision to call for an onside kick might have been the difference-maker in a game filled with big plays.

2017 - Jan. 8, 2018 -CFB Playoff Championship, Atlanta, GA - Arguably the greatest play in college football history, the overtime touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to DeVonta Smith will live in Crimson Tide lore forever. Georgia shut down the Tide's offense in the first half. Alabama sportswriting legend Cecil Hurt wrote that after halftime "the heavens opened" for the Alabama offense. The description was fitting. Alabama, trailing 20-10 after three quarters, outscored the Bulldogs 16-3 the rest of the way. Smitty's walk-off 41-yard reception was his only catch in the game.

2020 - Jan. 11, 2021 - CFB Playoff Championship, Miami Gardens, FL - Finishing 13-0, the Crimson Tide had a perfect season. The main reason why is the 2020 Alabama offense came near to perfection. Saban's sixth Alabama Football National Championship was another win against an outclassed foe. Ohio State was no match for the Crimson Tide, with Alabama winning 52-24. The 28-point win understates how much better Alabama was than Ohio State on that night in Florida.

Looking back at the Nick Saban Era - Part 3