Few teams had the kind of promise as the 1973 Crimson Tide, which began the season ranked sixth in the preseason Associated Press poll, but crushed California, which featured quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back Chuck Muncie, 66-0.

With a roster boasting first-team All-Americans Buddy Brown (tackle), Woodrow Lowe (linebacker), and Wayne Wheeler (split end), along with second-teamers Mike Washington (cornerback), John Croyle (defensive end), and Mike Raines (defensive tackle), Paul W. "Bear" Bryant appeared more than poised to make a run for his fourth national championship.

The wins quickly piled up: 44-0 at Vanderbilt, 28-14 against Georgia, 35-14 at Florida.

Aided by halfback Randy Billingsley's blocks, Alabama had four players _ Jackson, Richard Todd, Calvin Culliver and Jimmy Taylor _ each reach 100 yards rushing during a 77-6 victory against Virginia Tech.

Against unbeaten Tennessee, quarterback Gary Rutledge connected with wide receiver Wayne Wheeler for an 80-yard touchdown on the first snap of the game, and Jackson capped the 42-21 victory with an 80-yard touchdown run.

On Thanksgiving, Alabama handled another unbeaten rival, LSU, 21-7.

For an encore, the Tide crushed Auburn, 35-0.

Alabama scored a school-record 477 points and averaged 480.7 yards per game.

At the time, the United Press International coaches' poll held its final voting at the end of the regular season (although the Associated Press had already switched for good, and since 1969 held its final rankings at the end of the postseason), with Alabama named its national champion.

However, the Tide had one more game to play, the extremely hyped first meeting with Notre Dame, which would take place at the Sugar Bowl.

The game lived up to the billing, with the lead changing hands six times and featured a wild 90-second span with three turnovers at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The deciding points came with 4:26 left on the clock, when Notre Dame's Bob Thomas, who had missed two attempts earlier in the game, kicked a 19-yard field goal.

After the Tide offense stalled on the subsequent possession, Greg Gantt's 69-yard punt gave Notre Dame first down at its own 1-yard line, but Gantt also drew a penalty on the play that would have given Alabama fourth down and 5 yards to go.

Bryant decided to decline the penalty, putting the game into the defense's hands, only to see Fighting Irish quarterback Tom Clements, who was named game's most valuable player, complete a key 35-yard third-down pass to tight end Robin Weber to secure the 24-23 victory.

Not surprisingly, Notre Dame was No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll, and soon after the coaches' poll announced that it too would hold its final voting after all bowl games had been played.

A year later, No. 1 Alabama again finished the regular season undefeated and accepted an invitation from the Orange Bowl for a rematch against Notre Dame, which was ranked eighth. Unfortunately for Crimson Tide fans, the result was the same, as the Fighting Irish won Ara Parseghian's final game, 13-11. Instead of Alabama taking home another national championship, Oklahoma and Southern California split the title honors.

11-1

Date, opponent, location, W/L/T, score

Sept. 15 California Birmingham W 66-0

Sept. 22 Kentucky Lexington W 28-14

Sept. 29 Vanderbilt Nashville W 44-0

Oct. 6 Georgia Tuscaloosa W 28-14

Oct. 13 Florida Gainesville W 35-14

Oct. 20 Tennessee Birmingham W 42-21

Oct. 27 Virginia Tech Tuscaloosa W 77-6

Nov. 3 Mississippi State Jackson W 35-0

Nov. 17 Miami Tuscaloosa W 43-13

Nov. 22 LSU Baton Rouge W 21-7

Dec. 1 Auburn Birmingham W 35-0

Dec. 31 Notre Dame Sugar Bowl L 23-24

Total points: 477-113

Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant

Captains: Wilbur Jackson, Chuck Strickland

Ranking (AP): Preseason No. 6; Postseason No. 4.

All-American: First team _ Buddy Brown, tackle; Woodrow Lowe, linebacker; Wayne Wheeler, split end. Second team _ Mike Washington, cornerback; John Croyle, defensive end; Mike Raines, defensive tackle. Academic _ Randy Hall, defensive tackle.

All-SEC (first team): Buddy Brown, tackle; Greg Gantt, punter; Wilbur Jackson, halfback; Woodrow Lowe, linebacker; David McMakin, safety; Mike Raines, defensive tackle; Steve Sprayberry, tackle; Mike Washington, cornerback; Wayne Wheeler, split end.

Leaders: Rushing _ Wilbur Jackson (752 yards, 95 carries); Passing _Gary Rutledge (33 of 57, 897 yards); Receiving _ Wayne Wheeler (19 catches, 530 yards). Woodrow Lowe had a team-record 134 solo tackles.

SEC Conference Overall

School ............ W-L-T Pct. Pts. Opp. W-L-T Pts. Opp.

Alabama .......... 8-0-0 1.000 268 70 11-0-0 454 89

LSU .................. 5-1-0 .833 156 72 9-2-0 258 153

Ole Miss ........ 4-3-0 .571 124 137 6-5-0 202 177

Tennessee ......... 3-3-0 .500 127 136 8-3-0 272 219

Florida.............. 3-4-0 .429 82 141 7-4-0 180 171

Kentucky ........... 3-4-0 .429 148 130 5-6-0 226 196

Georgia............ 3-4-0 .429 128 114 6-4-1 207 150

Auburn ............. 2-5-0 .286 73 140 6-5-0 153 159

Mississippi State ........ 2-5-0 .286 133 205 4-5-2 219 255

Vanderbilt ......... 1-5-0 .167 87 181 5-6-0 181 262

Bowls: Sugar (Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23), Sun (Missouri 34, Auburn 17), Tangerine (Miami, Ohio 16, Florida 7), Peach (Georgia 17, Maryland 16), Orange (Penn State 16, LSU 9), Gator (Texas Tech 28, Tennessee 19).

National champions

Alabama: Berryman, UPI

Michigan: National Championship Foundation, Poling

Notre Dame: AP, Billingsley, FB News, FW, Helms, National Championship Foundation, NFF

Ohio State: FACT, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin (ELO-Chess)

Oklahoma: DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, Sagarin

Final rankings

Associated Press

1. Notre Dame

2. Ohio State

3. Oklahoma

4. Alabama

5. Penn State

6. Michigan

7. Nebraska

8. Southern California

9. Michigan State

(tie) Houston

11. Texas Tech

12. UCLA

13. LSU

14. Texas

15. Miami (Ohio)

16. North Carolina State

17. Missouri

18. Kansas

19. Tennessee

20. Maryland

(tie) Tulane

Coaches

1. Alabama

2. Oklahoma

3. Ohio State

4. Notre Dame

5. Penn State

6. Michigan

7. Southern California

8. Texas

9. UCLA

10. Michigan State

11. Nebraska

(tie) Texas Tech

13. Houston

14. LSU

15. Kansas

(tie) Tulane

17. Miami (Ohio)

18. Maryland

19. San Diego State

(tie) Florida

All-American Team

Offense: WR Lynn Swann, Southern California, 6-0, 180, Foster City, Calif.; TE Dave Casper, Notre Dame, 6-3, 252, Chilton, Wis.; T John Hicks, Ohio State, 6-3, 258, Cleveland, Ohio; T Booker Brown, Southern California, 6-3, 270, Santa Barbara, Calif.; G Buddy Brown, Alabama, 6-2, 242, Tallahassee, Fla.; G Bill Yoest, North Carolina State, 6-0, 235, Pittsburgh, Pa.; C Bill Wyman, Texas, 6-2, 235, Spring, Texas; QB Dave Jaynes, Kansas, 6-2, 212, Bonner Springs, Kan.; RB John Cappelletti, Penn State, 6-1, 206, Upper Darby, Pa.; RB Roosevelt Leaks, Texas, 5-11, 209, Brenham, Texas; RB Woody Green, Michigan State, 6-1, 202, Portland, Ore.; RB Kermit Johnson, UCLA, 6-0, 185, Los Angeles, Calif.

Defense: L John Dutton, Nebraska, 6-7, 248, Rapid City, S.D.; L Dave Gallagher, Michigan, 6-4, 245, Piqua, Ohio; L Lucious Selmon, Oklahoma, 5-11, 236, Eufaula, Okla.; L Tony Cristiani, Miami (Fla.), 5-10, 215, Brandon, Fla.; LB Randy Gradishar, Ohio State, 6-3, 236, Champion, Ohio; LB Rod Shoate, Oklahoma, 6-1, 214, Spiro, Okla.; LB Richard Wood, Southern California, 6-2, 217, Elizabeth, N.J.; B Mike Townsend, Notre Dame, 6-3, 183, Hamilton, Ohio; B Artimus Parker, Southern California, 6-3, 215, Sacramento, Calif.; B Dave Brown, Michigan, 6-1, 188, Akron, Ohio; B Randy Rhino, Georgia Tech, 5-10, 179, Charlotte, N.C.

Heisman Trophy Voting

1. John Cappelletti, Penn State, RB......................1,057

2. John Hicks, Ohio State, OT...........................524

3. Roosevelt Leaks, Texas, RB.......................482

4. David Jaynes, Kansas, QB.........................394

(Sources: "100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Before they Die," by Christopher Walsh; "Huddle Up: Alabama Football 2009," by Christopher Walsh; NCAA; Southeastern Conference)