2007 Alabama Football: The Saban Era Begins
Alabama football was in a funk as the 2007 season began. Since the proud program last won the national championship in 1992, the Crimson Tide had made just one major bowl game, spent time on probation, and had only three Top 10 finishes. While one of those had come as recently as 2005, it was promptly followed by a fall back to .500 in 2006 and a season that ended with a loss in the Independence Bowl.
The Tide needed to make a move, and they swung for the fences by hiring Nick Saban. With a national championship already under his belt at rival LSU in 2003, Saban had just spent two years posting pedestrian results with the Miami Dolphins. He was ready to come back to college. And there was a college ready to open the vault for him. While the 2007 season itself was marked by ups and downs, and was mediocre on the surface, it was also the beginning of one of college football’s most glorious eras.
BUILT AROUND DEFENSE
Defense was Saban’s calling card and that was the side of the ball his first Alabama team was built around. It started with two good pass rushers on the edge. Wallace Gillberry recorded ten sacks, 27 tackles-for-loss and was All-SEC. Ezekial Knight added 11 more sacks. Aided by that kind of pressure on the quarterback, safety Rashad Johnson intercepted six passes and went on to all-conference honors.
Alabama’s defense ranked 28th nationally in points allowed and helped to cover for a mediocre offense. Terry Grant and Glen Coffee were respectable running backs, running behind a line led by All-SEC tackle Andre Smith. D.J. Hall was a good wide receiver, catching 67 passes for just over 1,000 yards. Matt Caddell was a reliable second target, catching 40 more balls.
But while quarterback John Parker Wilson had his strengths and had some big moments in big games, the collective numbers showed a mediocre 6.2 yards-per-attempt, an 18-12 TD/INT ratio and offensive struggles as the season wore on. The Crimson Tide ranked 65th in the country for points scored.
ARKANSAS THRILLER
Even with the hype surrounding Saban’s arrival, there were no expectations, and Alabama was unranked in the preseason polls. They opened with a perfunctory 52-6 blowout of Western Carolina and then went to mediocre Vanderbilt to get an unnoteworthy 24-10 win. The first real test would come when 16th-ranked Arkansas, led by the electric running back Darren McFadden came to Tuscaloosa.
The Tide came out rolling. Parker Wilson tossed first quarter touchdown passes to Hall from nine and 35 yards. It set the tone for a big night for Hall where he racked up 172 yards receiving. Alabama was up 21-0 in the first quarter and had a comfortable 31-10 lead deep into the third quarter.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. The Tide couldn’t stop the Razorback running game and allowed over 300 yards on the ground. They couldn’t pressure the quarterback. Arkansas tore off four straight touchdowns, two from McFadden and took a 38-31 lead. It happened so fast, there were still eight minutes left.
Alabama began driving, but had to settle for a field goal with a little over four minutes to go. Trailing 38-34, they got the ball back. Parker Wilson was having a big game, and he finished 24/45 for 327 yards. Caddell caught nine passes and the last one was a four-yard touchdown toss with eight seconds left. The 41-38 thriller was the first big win of the Saban era.
PROMISE WITHOUT CONSISTENCY
The Tide moved into the national rankings #16 and welcomed Georgia to town a week later. The Bulldogs were headed for a big year, one that would take them to #2 in the nation by season’s end. Alabama played well, but lost a 26-23 decision.
That loss was understandable enough, but more disappointing was a 21-14 defeat against mediocre Florida State on a neutral site in Jacksonville. The Tide were showing promise, but they were back to being unranked as September ended.
THE TIDE STARTS BELIEVING
A 30-24 home win over a pretty good Houston team was followed by a 27-24 escape on the road at lowly Ole Miss. It led to the traditional third Saturday in October battle with Tennessee. The Vols, led by running back Arian Foster, were on their way to winning the SEC East when they came to Tuscaloosa.
There was a lot of back-and-forth in the first half. Alabama scored the first ten points. Tennessee responded with two straight touchdowns. With the score tied 17-17, Parker Wilson flipped a two-yard TD pass to Hall to give the Tide the lead going into the locker room.
Alabama began to take over in the second half, with Grant on his way to a 164-yard game. But two drives had to end with field goals, so at 30-17, it wasn’t over yet.
Wilson was having a monster game, going 32/46 for 363 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Hall caught 13 balls for 185 yards. The Tide kept their foot on the gas and ultimately put the Vols away with a 41-17 thumping.
Alabama was back in the national rankings at #22. And they had a chance to put themselves in the race for the SEC West when third-ranked LSU, Saban’s former employer, arrived in Tuscaloosa to open November.
THE BRUTAL REALITY CHECK
But November would be a cruel month for Saban’s Tide. They dropped a 41-34 decision to the Tigers, a defeat that ended any realistic hopes Alabama had of making the conference championship game. LSU would go on to win the national championship.
More disheartening was a visit to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were a seven-win team. One of those wins came at ‘Bama’s expense, a 17-12 dogfight. And if that was disheartening, a 21-14 loss to UL-Monroe was even worse.
Auburn was ranked #25, and the Tide went on the road for the Iron Bowl rivalry game. The result fit November. It was hard-fought. But the offense continued its late season fade, dropping a 17-10 decision.
Four straight losses, all by seven points or less, took a promising season and turned it into another .500 finish and another Independence Bowl bid.
A POSITIVE FINISH
Alabama played Colorado in Shreveport on December 30. It was the final Sunday of the NFL regular season, so most fans were tuned into pro ball. But it was still a chance for the Tide to salvage something.
They took advantage of the opportunity. Parker Wilson came out firing and completed 13 of his first 15 passes. Alabama exploded to a 27-0 lead. Colorado was able to make it interesting, cutting the lead to 27-14 by halftime. But the Tide ultimately closed out a 30-24 win.
It wasn’t a flashy finish, but winning this year’s Independence Bowl did represent one small piece of improvement over 2006. More importantly, Saban had planted his feet in Alabama. The days of playing in off-Broadway bowl games were over. By 2008, the Tide were back into the national elite and by 2009 they were champions again.