2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " , " Bama " or " The Tide " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 115th overall season , 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) and its 18th within the SEC Western Division . The team was led by head coach Nick Saban , in his third year , and played their home games at Bryant – Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa , Alabama . They finished the season undefeated with a record of 14 – 0 ( 8 – 0 in the SEC ) and as National Champions . Looking to build on the successes of the 2008 campaign , Alabama entered the 2009 season as the favorite to win the Western Division and meet the Florida Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship Game . Alabama closed the regular season with a 12 – 0 record including four wins against Top 25 - ranked teams — and met the Gators for the SEC Championship in a rematch of the 2008 contest . Alabama was victorious by a final score of 32 – 13 . The following day , final Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) standings were unveiled . No . 1 ranked Alabama would meet No . 2 ranked Texas for the BCS National Championship . In the BCS National Championship Game , the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 37 – 21 to capture their first - ever BCS Championship . Alabama earned their third SEC championship since the inception of the SEC Championship Game in 1992 , and their 22nd SEC title . The victory over Texas gave Alabama their 13th national championship in football ( their eighth wire service title since the AP Poll began in 1936 ) and their ninth perfect season since 1925 . The season included victories over the previous three national champions : Florida , Louisiana State University ( LSU ) , and Texas . The season marked the first time a player for Alabama won the Heisman Trophy : Mark Ingram won the award over Stanford running back Toby Gerhart . Other award winners included Rolando McClain , who won the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Award , and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart , who won the Broyles Award as the nation ' s top assistant coach . Also , six players were named to various All - America Teams with Terrence Cody , Mike Johnson , and Javier Arenas being consensus selections and Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections . Before the season . During the 2008 – 2009 campaign , the Crimson Tide completed a perfect 12 – 0 regular season record with wins over No . 9 Clemson , No . 3 Georgia , longtime rival Tennessee , No . 16 LSU , and in - state rival Auburn to end a six game losing streak in the Iron Bowl . The Tide went on to lose their final two games in the postseason to end the season 12 – 2 . They lost to the Florida Gators ( 31 – 20 ) in the SEC Championship Game , and to the Utah Utes ( 31 – 17 ) in the Sugar Bowl . Alabama reached No . 1 in the AP and Coaches ' Poll s for the first time since the final polls in 1992 and during the regular season for the first time since 1980 between weeks ten and fourteen . The Tide reached No . 1 in the BCS rankings for the first time in school history between weeks ten and fourteen . The team finished the 2008 season with a final ranking of No . 6 in both the AP and Coaches ' Polls . In February 2009 , Alabama signed the No . 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No . 2 recruiting class according to Scout . Spring practice began on March 13 and concluded with the annual A - Day spring game on April 18 . Televised live by ESPN , the Crimson team defeated the White team by a score of 14 – 7 before 84 , 050 fans in Bryant – Denny Stadium . Greg McElroy and Marquis Maze were named co - MVPs of the game . On June 11 , 2009 , the NCAA Committee on Infractions sanctioned Alabama for " major violations " of NCAA policies as a result of athletes who received improper benefits in 16 of 19 NCAA sports , including football . As a penalty , the football program was forced to vacate 21 victories from the 2005 , 2006 , and 2007 seasons in addition to being placed on three years probation , ending in June 2012 . The university stated that none of the textbooks or materials identified in the investigation were used for profit , and that the athletes involved who still had eligibility remaining were to pay restitution for the additional materials identified as part of the inquiry . Alabama appealed the ruling to the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee in late June , but was unsuccessful ; the Committee upheld the sanctions in March 2010 . During SEC Media Days in July , voters selected Alabama and Florida to again win their divisions , with 63 of 64 ballots choosing Florida to win the SEC Championship Game . Voters selected Julio Jones , Mike Johnson , Terrence Cody , Rolando McClain , Javier Arenas ( as a defensive back ) , and Leigh Tiffin to the Preseason All - SEC First Team and selected Mark Ingram and Arenas ( as a return specialist ) to the Preseason All - SEC Second Team . By August , Alabama had 19 players on 11 different preseason award watch lists . These included Cody and McClain for the Chuck Bednarik Award ; Jones for the Fred Biletnikoff Award ; Dont ’ a Hightower and McClain for the Butkus Award ; Leigh Tiffin for the Lou Groza Award ; Cody , Hightower , Mike Johnson , and McClain for the Lombardi Award ; Cody and McClain for the Lott Trophy ; Jones for the Maxwell Award ; Javier Arenas , Cody , and McClain for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy ; Cody and Johnson for the Outland Trophy ; Arenas for the Jim Thorpe Award ; and Mark Ingram for the Doak Walker Award . Returning starters . Alabama had 16 returning starters from the previous season , including eight on defense , four on offense , and all of the special teams . The most notable departures from the previous year were Andre Smith , Antoine Caldwell , and Marlon Davis on the offensive line ; John Parker Wilson at quarterback ; Glen Coffee at running back ; and Rashad Johnson at safety . Recruiting class . Alabama ' s recruiting class was highlighted by seven players from the " ESPN 150 " : No . 4 Dre Kirkpatrick ( CB ) ; No . 6 Trent Richardson ( RB ) ; No . 12 D . J . Fluker ( OT ) ; No . 20 Nico Johnson ( ILB ) ; No . 36 A . J . McCarron ( QB ) ; No . 65 Kendall Kelly ( WR ) ; No . 110 Tana Patrick ( OLB ) ; No . 142 Petey Smith ( ILB ) ; and No . 143 Eddie Lacy ( RB ) . Alabama signed the No . 1 recruiting class according to Rivals and the No . 2 recruiting class according to Scout . The football program received 29 letters of intent on National Signing Day , February 4 , 2009 . Schedule . The Sagarin computer ratings calculated Alabama ' s strength of schedule to be the most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams . The Congrove Computer Rankings also calculated it as the most difficult out of the 120 Division I FBS teams in its rankings . Alabama ' s 2009 schedule was officially released on December 19 , 2008 . In accordance with conference rules , Alabama faced all five Western Division opponents : Arkansas , Auburn , LSU , Mississippi State , and Ole Miss . They also faced three Eastern Division opponents : official SEC rival Tennessee , Kentucky , and South Carolina . Alabama did not play SEC opponents Georgia and Vanderbilt . Although not on the regular season schedule , Bama met Florida in the SEC Championship Game . Alabama also played five non - conference games . For the season opener , the Tide played in the Chick - fil - A College Kickoff against Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta . The non - conference schedule also included games against Florida International and North Texas of the Sun Belt Conference and UT - Chattanooga of the Football Championship Subdivision ( FCS ) . For the 2010 BCS National Championship Game , Alabama played Texas for the first time since the 1982 Cotton Bowl Classic . Depth chart . Starters and backups . Coaching staff . Prior to the 2009 season , Alabama made several changes to its coaching staff . Alabama lost their defensive head coach , Kevin Steele , on January 10 , 2009 , when he was hired as defensive coordinator for Clemson , and their linebacker coach Lance Thompson on January 16 , when he was hired as linebacker coach by Tennessee . The following week , Saban named Sal Sunseri from the NFL ' s Carolina Panthers as his team ' s new assistant head and linebacker coach , and James Willis from Auburn as the new associate head and linebacker coach . Game notes . Virginia Tech . Sources : After defeating Clemson in the inaugural Chick - fil - A College Kickoff , Alabama announced in December 2008 they would return for the 2009 edition against the Virginia Tech Hokies . The Tide dominated play for most of the game , outgaining Tech in total offense by 498 yards to 155 , but mistakes , penalties , and poor play by the special teams allowed the Hokies to hang on until 18 fourth - quarter points sealed the 34 – 24 Alabama victory . Bama scored first with field goals of 49 and 34 yards from Leigh Tiffin to take an early 6 – 0 lead . The Hokies responded with a 98 - yard Dyrell Roberts kickoff return for a touchdown to give Tech a 7 – 6 lead . Following the recovery of a Ryan Williams fumble by Brian Selman deep in Hokie territory , the Tide retook the lead 9 – 7 on a 32 - yard Tiffin field goal . Early in the second quarter , Antoine Hopkins intercepted a Greg McElroy pass . On the ensuing possession , Tech led 10 – 9 after a successful 28 - yard Matt Waldron field goal . Alabama responded by driving 76 yards for a touchdown and a 16 – 10 lead , with the big plays coming on a 14 - yard run by Mark Ingram , passes of 16 and 10 yards from McElroy to Julio Jones and the score coming on a 19 - yard Roy Upchurch run . On the next Virginia Tech possession , three personal fouls and a pass interference penalty carried the Hokies downfield with Williams scoring on an one - yard touchdown run . The score remained 17 – 16 at the half after Tiffin missed a 36 - yard field goal at the end of the second quarter . In the third quarter Roy Upchurch fumbled the ball at the Tech nine after a long run , negating the lone scoring opportunity for either team in the third quarter . Still down by a point in the fourth quarter , McElroy hit Marquis Maze for a 48 - yard completion to the Virginia Tech six yard line , and Ingram scored a touchdown on the next play . A successful two - point conversion pass from McElroy to Colin Peek gave Alabama a 24 – 17 lead . On the ensuing kickoff , Davon Morgan fumble d and Chris Rogers recovered for the Tide at the Tech 21 . The following Alabama drive stalled at the 3 , but Tiffin ' s fourth field goal made the score 27 – 17 . Poor kickoff coverage and penalties set up a 32 - yard Williams that run cut the lead to 27 – 24 late in the fourth quarter . Alabama quickly struck back as Ingram rushed for 39 yards , McElroy completed a 19 - yard pass to Peek , and then threw to Ingram for an 18 - yard touchdown and a 34 – 24 lead . The Hokies never threatened to score again and Alabama won its opener , 34 – 24 . Ingram led the Tide with 150 yards rushing on 26 carries and a pair of touchdowns , and he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Hokies to 11 – 1 . Florida International . Sources : The Golden Panthers of Florida International proved a tougher opponent than Alabama expected in the first half . However , the Tide pulled away with a 40 – 14 victory in the 2009 home opener . Alabama opened the scoring with a 23 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal followed by a 24 - yard Greg McElroy touchdown pass to Mike McCoy , which gave Bama a 10 – 0 lead . FIU followed the McElroy touchdown with T . Y . Hilton returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards , bringing the score to 10 – 7 . Bama responded with a 29 - yard Tiffin field goal to extend the lead to 13 – 7 early in the second quarter ; the following kickoff was booted out of bounds , which set up the Golden Panthers at the 40 . The ensuing 60 yard drive resulted in a 9 - yard Paul McCall touchdown pass to Greg Ellingson that gave FIU a 14 – 13 lead . Bama responded with a 64 - yard drive culminating with a two - yard Mark Ingram touchdown run to put Bama up 20 – 14 at the half . Trent Richardson continued the Alabama scoring in the third quarter with a nine - yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 26 – 14 . A 46 - yard punt return by Javier Arenas set up Richardson ' s second score on a 35 - yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter . Alabama led 33 – 14 . Terry Grant scored the Tide ' s final points with a 42 - yard touchdown run to bring the final score to 40 – 14 . Alabama outgained FIU 516 – 214 in total offense and 275 – 1 in rushing offense . Greg McElroy set an all - time Alabama record by completing 14 consecutive pass attempts and was 18 – 24 for 241 yards and a touchdown . For his 113 - yard , two - touchdown rushing performance , Richardson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Golden Panthers to 2 – 0 . North Texas . Sources : Alabama ' s second consecutive matchup with a Sun Belt opponent on the season resulted in its second consecutive victory , as the Tide defeated the North Texas Mean Green 53 – 7 . Greg McElroy opened the scoring with a two - yard touchdown run followed by a 34 - yard touchdown pass to Marquis Maze to take a 14 – 0 first quarter lead . The Tide continued the scoring in the second quarter , with touchdowns on a one - yard Trent Richardson run and a 29 - yard McElroy pass to Mark Ingram followed with a 35 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal . This gave Alabama a 30 – 0 lead at the half . In the third quarter , Bama extended their lead to 44 – 0 following touchdown runs of five and one yard respectively from Ingram and Terry Grant . After North Texas reached the end zone on a 34 - yard Nathan Tune touchdown pass to Lance Dunbar , Alabama closed the game with ten fourth - quarter points on a 20 - yard Tiffin field goal and 9 - yard Grant touchdown run . Alabama outgained the Mean Green 523 – 187 in yards of total offense . It was the most points for Alabama in a game since beating Texas - El Paso 56 – 7 in 2001 and the most scored at Bryant – Denny since defeating Tulane 62 – 0 in 1991 . By completing of 13 of 15 passes , McElroy tied a school record with an overall completion percentage of 86 . 7 . The game was notable for McElroy as the North Texas head coach , Todd Dodge , was his high school head coach when McElroy led Southlake Carroll to the 2005 Texas Class 5A high school football championship . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Mean Green to 3 – 0 . Arkansas . Sources : In Bobby Petrino ' s first visit to Tuscaloosa as a head coach , Alabama opened conference play by defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 35 – 7 . After a scoreless first quarter , two big touchdown plays , a 52 - yard run by Trent Richardson and a 50 - yard pass from Greg McElroy to Julio Jones , had the Tide up 14 – 0 at the half . Arkansas responded early in the third quarter and cut the lead to 14 – 7 after Ryan Mallett hit Greg Childs for an 18 - yard touchdown reception ; the Hogs would not reach the end zone again as the Tide responded with three unanswered touchdowns . Bama scored first on an 80 - yard touchdown pass from McElroy to Marquis Maze followed with two touchdowns by Mark Ingram , one on a 14 - yard pass from McElroy and one on a 2 - yard run , bringing the final score to 35 – 7 . Alabama outgained the Razorbacks 425 – 254 in yards of total offense . McElroy threw for career highs of 291 yards and three touchdowns . For his 65 - yard , nine - carry , one - touchdown performance , Richardson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Razorbacks to 10 – 8 ( 13 – 7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits ) . Kentucky . Sources : In Alabama ' s first trip to Lexington since 2004 , and their first road game of the 2009 season , the Tide defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 38 – 20 . Alabama scored on their opening drive after Javier Arenas returned the opening kickoff 60 yards , which set up an 11 - yard Mark Ingram touchdown for an early 7 – 0 lead . Kentucky responded with a pair of 49 - yard Lones Seiber field goals . The score was 7 – 6 at the end of the first quarter . The Tide extended their lead late in the second quarter following a nearly seven minute , 13 - play , 97 - yard touchdown drive . Greg McElroy passes of 27 and 21 yards and a 13 - yard run by Ingram moved Bama down the field , culminating with a three - yard touchdown pass from McElroy to Colin Peek to put the Tide up 14 – 6 . With only 40 seconds remaining in the half , Kentucky tailback Derrick Locke fumbled the ball after catching a short pass . Courtney Upshaw returned 45 yards for an Alabama touchdown that put the Tide ahead 21 – 6 at halftime . On the second play of the third quarter , Rolando McClain intercepted a Mike Hartline pass , giving Alabama possession at the Wildcat 38 . Two plays later Ingram scored on a 32 - yard run , making the score 28 – 6 . Following an Eryk Anders interception that set up a 36 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal , the Wildcats reached the end zone for the first time on the ensuing drive . Hartline connected with Randall Cobb for a 45 - yard touchdown reception in bringing the score to 31 – 13 . The Tide responded with a 7 - yard Darius Hanks touchdown reception to complete a 13 - play , 76 - yard drive . Kentucky scored the afternoon ' s final points in the fourth quarter on a two - yard Alfonso Smith touchdown run . The final score was 38 – 20 . Kentucky ' s four turnovers sabotaged an effort that was better than any other of Alabama ' s previous opponents , as the Wildcats gained 301 yards in total offense and held Alabama to 352 . McElroy threw for two touchdowns , giving him nine on the season against only one interception , and Ingram rushed for 140 yards on 22 carries . For his 12 tackles ( 8 solo ) , one interception , one forced fumble and one pass break - up , McClain was named both the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Bronko Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Wildcats to 35 – 2 – 1 . Ole Miss . Sources : Before the largest crowd to ever witness a game in Vaught – Hemingway Stadium , Alabama defeated their long - time rival , the Ole Miss Rebels , 22 – 3 . Alabama struggled to put the ball in the end zone all afternoon with drives stalled at the Mississippi 8 , 4 , 4 , 4 , and 13 . Each of those drives resulted in a field goal by Leigh Tiffin , who was 5 for 5 on the day . Other special teams contributions included a blocked punt in the second quarter and a recovered Dexter McCluster fumble on a punt return in the third quarter , both by Cory Reamer . McElroy struggled , completing only 15 of 34 passes for 147 yards , but Mark Ingram ran for a then career - high 172 yards and accounted for Alabama ' s only touchdown on a 36 - yard run in the second quarter . The Alabama defense had an excellent day , with Javier Arenas , Kareem Jackson , Rolando McClain , and Cory Reamer each intercepting a Jevan Snead pass . Overall , the Tide held the Rebels to 212 yards of total offense and a single Joshua Shene field goal in the third quarter . center William Vlachos was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week and Tiffin was named the Lou Groza Award " Star of Stars " for his five field goal performance . The victory was the team ' s sixth in a row over the Rebels and improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Ole Miss to 43 – 9 – 2 ( 47 – 8 – 2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits ) . South Carolina . Sources : In South Carolina ' s first trip to Bryant – Denny since 2004 , the Tide defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 20 – 6 on homecoming in Tuscaloosa . On the second play from the start of the game , Mark Barron intercepted a Stephen Garcia pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown and a 7 – 0 Alabama lead . Greg McElroy struggled ; he threw a pair of first - quarter interceptions on Bama ' s first two offensive possessions . South Carolina ' s C . C . Whitlock fumbled the ball on the return of the second interception and possession was recovered by Darius Hanks . The Tide continued its drive to the Gamecock 8 , and Leigh Tiffin kicked a field goal to put Alabama ahead 10 – 0 . Following a failed 49 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal attempt in the second quarter , South Carolina answered by driving to the Alabama five - yard line . However , the Bama defense held the Gamecock offense to three consecutive incompletions ; the result was a 22 - yard Spencer Lanning field goal to make the score 10 – 3 . On the following possession , Mark Ingram ran 54 yards to the South Carolina 28 . The drive stalled at the 17 and Tiffin ' s field goal made it 13 – 3 . South Carolina responded with a quick drive that ended with a 31 - yard Lanning field goal as time expired in the first half with the score 13 – 6 . After a scoreless third quarter , with 8 : 08 to go , Alabama took possession at its own 32 following a Gamecock punt . Taking direct snaps out of the wildcat formation , Ingram rushed for 64 yards on five carries , then took a pitch from Greg McElroy for the last four yards and the touchdown , sealing Alabama ' s 20 – 6 victory . The Alabama offense turned the ball over four times in this game after committing only two turnovers in the first six games . Mark Ingram ' s 246 yards rushing marked his third consecutive career - high effort and the third highest single game total in Alabama history . For their performances , Ingram was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and Rolando McClain was named the Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Gamecocks to 10 – 3 ( 12 – 2 before NCAA vacations and forfeits ) . Tennessee . Sources : This edition of the Third Saturday in October was a defensive struggle with a surprise finish as the Crimson Tide defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 12 – 10 . In a defensive struggle for both teams , Leigh Tiffin was 4 for 4 on field goals and accounted for all of Alabama ' s scoring . With the Tennessee defense stopping the Tide on consecutive drives , Alabama ' s defense responded with Mark Barron intercepting a Jonathan Crompton pass at the Bama 19 in the first quarter . The ensuing drive resulted in a 38 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal and a 3 – 0 lead . The Vols responded with a 24 - yard Daniel Lincoln field goal that tied the game 3 – 3 . Tiffin hit field goals of 50 and 22 yards before Lincoln missed a 47 - yard attempt at the end of the first half , leaving the score 9 – 3 at halftime . After a scoreless third , in the fourth Tennessee drove to the Alabama 27 , but Terrence Cody blocked Lincoln ' s field goal . On the ensuing possession , Tiffin hit a 49 - yard field goal to bring the score to 12 – 3 . Late in the fourth , Mark Ingram lost a fumble for the first time in his collegiate career , giving Tennessee possession at the Alabama 43 with 3 : 29 remaining in the game . The Vols drove the ball 43 yards in 2 : 10 , culminating with an 11 - yard Crompton touchdown pass to Gerald Jones to cut the gap to 12 – 10 . The Vols followed with a successful onside kick attempt and regained possession of the ball at their own 41 yard line . After Tennessee was penalized five yards for a false start , Crompton completed a pass to Luke Stocker for 23 yards , to the Bama 27 yard line . With the clock ticking off the final seconds and Tennessee out of time outs , Crompton spiked the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left . This set up Lincoln for a 45 - yard field goal attempt to win the game . However , Terrence Cody knocked his blocker over and broke through the line . He blocked Lincoln ' s field goal as time expired , preserving Alabama ' s 12 – 10 victory and perfect season . For their performances , Cody was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and Tiffin was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week . LSU . Sources : With the SEC West divisional championship on the line , Alabama defeated their long - time rival the LSU Tigers 24 – 15 to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game . Following a scoreless first quarter , LSU took possession on its own 9 on the last play of the first quarter and embarked on a 13 - play , 91 - yard drive that ended in a 12 - yard touchdown pass from Jordan Jefferson to Deangelo Peterson and a 7 – 0 lead . Javier Arenas returned the ensuing punt 40 yards to the Alabama 49 , and the Tide drove to the LSU 11 before settling for a 28 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal that made the score 7 – 3 . Neither team could mount a sustained drive for the rest of the half . At the start of the second half Alabama received the kickoff , took possession at its own 19 , and started getting the ball to Mark Ingram . On the drive , Ingram was responsible for a 12 - yard reception from Greg McElroy and rushes of 4 , 12 , 12 , and 18 yards that advanced the ball to the Tiger 23 . Two plays later , McElroy hit Darius Hanks for his first touchdown pass since the Kentucky game , and Alabama was up 10 – 7 . The ensuing LSU drive stalled at the Tide 46 . The LSU punt was downed at the Alabama 1 - yard line . Two plays later McElroy was sacked for a safety , making the score 10 – 9 . LSU returned the free kick to its own 41 and drove 59 yards for the touchdown , the big play coming on a 34 - yard run by Charles Scott . The two - point conversion attempt failed , leaving the score 15 – 10 in favor of LSU . Alabama received the kickoff and again relied on Ingram : seven Ingram rushes for 48 yards accounted for most of the offense on a drive that ended with a 20 - yard Tiffin field goal , making the score 15 – 13 . Following a LSU three and out , Alabama took possession on its own 27 - yard line . On first down , McElroy completed a screen pass to Julio Jones which Jones turned into a 73 - yard touchdown . After a successful two - point conversion , Alabama led 21 – 15 . LSU went three and out again . A methodical 11 - play , 31 - yard Alabama drive consumed 6 : 14 of game time and ended in a 40 - yard Tiffin field goal with 3 : 04 left to seal a 24 – 15 Alabama victory . Alabama won the SEC Western Division championship and clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game against Florida , which clinched the East that same day with a 27 – 3 victory over Vanderbilt . Ingram rushed for 144 yards and Jones had 102 receiving yards . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Tigers to 45 – 23 – 5 . Mississippi State . Sources : Playing in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a game in Davis Wade Stadium , and with the Bulldogs wearing black jerseys for the first time in their history , Alabama cruised to a 31 – 3 victory over long - time rival Mississippi State . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama scored a pair of touchdowns in the second to take a 14 – 0 lead . The first touchdown came on a 45 - yard Darius Hanks reception from Greg McElroy and the second on a 1 - yard Mark Ingram run . After a 39 - yard field goal by Leigh Tiffin extended the lead to 17 – 0 in the third , the Bulldogs scored their only points of the night on a 34 - yard Derek DePasquale field goal . On the ensuing kickoff , Javier Arenas returned the ball 46 yards and on the next play , McElroy hit Julio Jones for a 48 - yard touchdown reception . The score was 24 – 3 . Mark Barron intercepted a Tyson Lee pass at the Alabama 30 on the next Bulldog offensive series . On the following play , Ingram scored a touchdown on a 70 - yard run to bring the final score to 31 – 3 . For the game , McElroy threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 13 of 18 passing , and Mark Ingram rushed for 149 yards two touchdowns . Mississippi State was held to 213 total yards , with Barron intercepting two Tyson Lee and Marquis Johnson intercepting one Chris Relf pass . For his performance , left guard Mike Johnson was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Bulldogs to 73 – 18 – 3 ( 72 – 19 – 3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits ) . Chattanooga . Sources : On senior day in Tuscaloosa , Alabama dipped down to college football ' s Football Championship Subdivision and defeated the Mocs of UT - Chattanooga 45 – 0 . After being stopped on their first possession , Alabama reached the end zone on the next five consecutive possessions in running up a 35 – 0 lead in the first half . First quarter touchdowns included a 2 - yard Trent Richardson run , a 25 - yard Mark Ingram run , and a 19 - yard Julio Jones reception from Greg McElroy . In the second quarter , touchdowns were scored by Javier Arenas on a 66 - yard punt return and on a 40 - yard Ingram run . With the only third quarter points coming on a 41 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal , Bama ' s final points of the afternoon came on a 21 - yard Roy Upchurch touchdown run in the fourth . Javier Arenas set the all - time SEC record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown and was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week . Mark Ingram led the offense with 102 yards and two touchdowns before being pulled early in the second quarter . Alabama outgained Chattanooga in total offense 422 – 84 and recorded their first defensive shutout since defeating Auburn 36 – 0 in 2008 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Mocs to 11 – 0 . Auburn . Sources : One year after Alabama ' s 36 – 0 victory in Tuscaloosa , the 2009 Iron Bowl contest against the Auburn Tigers ended with a 26 – 21 Tide victory and a 12 – 0 regular season . The Tigers , who entered the game 7 – 4 and unranked , took the ball after Alabama ' s initial three and out and struck quickly . On Auburn ' s fourth play from scrimmage , Terrell Zachery raced 67 yards on a reverse for a touchdown and a 7 – 0 Auburn lead . The run was the longest allowed by the Tide since a 70 - yard run by Arkansas ' Darren McFadden in 2005 . Auburn then successfully executed an onside kick and retained possession of the ball . After the onside kick , Auburn drove 58 yards in 12 plays , scoring on a 1 - yard touchdown pass from Chris Todd to Eric Smith . The Crimson Tide , which had never trailed in a game by more than seven points all season , found itself down 14 – 0 before the first quarter was over . Early in the second quarter Alabama completed a 10 - play , 58 - yard drive by scoring on a two - yard run by backup tailback Trent Richardson . The key plays were a 15 - yard pass from McElroy to Darius Hanks and a 13 - yard pass from McElroy to Richardson . After an exchange of punts gave Alabama good starting position at the Auburn 45 , the Tide quickly struck again with McElroy hitting tight end Colin Peek on a 33 - yard touchdown pass that left the game tied 14 – 14 at halftime . In the third quarter , Auburn scored on another quick strike . The Tigers took possession on their 24 after a Bama punt ; Kodi Burns rushed for four yards , and then Todd hit Darvin Adams on a 72 - yard completion that put Auburn back in front 21 – 14 . The completion marked the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Bama defense all season and the longest pass play since 1999 . Javier Arenas gave Alabama an opportunity by returning the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Auburn 45 , but Mark Ingram , who struggled the entire game , rushed for 7 yards and 2 yards and then was held for no gain on both third and one and fourth and one , and Alabama turned the ball over on downs . Auburn went three and out and punted , and Arenas set the Tide up again , returning the punt 56 yards to the Auburn 33 - yard line . Alabama drove to the Auburn 10 before settling for a Leigh Tiffin field goal that cut the deficit to 21 – 17 . Alabama kicked off and two plays later , Auburn quarterback Todd threw an interception that gave Alabama possession at the Auburn 43 . The Tide drove to the Tigers ' 13 before this drive also stalled , forcing another Leigh Tiffin field goal that made the score 21 – 20 . As the third quarter ended , Auburn continued to hang on to a one - point lead . Neither team could make progress with possessions early in the fourth quarter , and after an exchange of punts , Alabama got the ball on its own 21 with 8 : 27 to go , and began what would soon be known as " The Drive " . Richardson opened with a 7 - yard rush , and on third and three , McElroy completed a nine - yard pass to Julio Jones for a first down . Three plays later , on third and five , McElroy completed a six - yard pass to Jones for another first down and advancing the ball to the Tide 48 . Two plays later , on second and eight , a third pass from McElroy to Jones for 11 yards led to a third first down . Two plays after that , a fourth pass from McElroy to Jones and a fourth first down at the Auburn 28 - yard line . On second and nine at the Auburn 27 , McElroy chose a different target , hitting Richardson for a first down to the Auburn 11 - yard line . After a four - yard run by Richardson to the Auburn 7 , the Tigers called time out with 1 : 34 left . Richardson took the ball three more yards to the Auburn 4 , leaving the Tide at third and three . Each team called a time out in succession with 1 : 29 left . Alabama ' s offensive coaches called for a running play , but head coach Nick Saban , unwilling to settle for a field goal , overruled this decision and demanded a pass . McElroy completed a 4 - yard touchdown pass to third - string tailback Roy Upchurch , giving Alabama a 26 – 21 lead with 1 : 24 to go . McElroy had completed seven consecutive passes on The Drive after missing his first . A two - point conversion attempt failed and the lead was five points . Auburn took possession at the 25 following the kickoff and took 1 : 14 to run four plays and advance the ball to its own 46 with ten seconds to go . Todd completed a 17 - yard pass to Darvin Adams at the Alabama 37 , and after spiking the ball , Todd ' s last pass fell incomplete and the game was over . Alabama had survived , beating Auburn 26 – 21 despite being outgained 332 yards to 291 and being held to only 73 yards rushing . Florida . Sources : Alabama faced Florida in the SEC Championship Game in a rematch of the 2008 contest , with the Tide capturing their 22nd conference championship following their 32 – 13 victory over the Gators . The Tide struck first , driving 47 yards with the opening possession before Leigh Tiffin kicked a 48 - yard field goal and a 3 – 0 lead . Following a Florida three and out on their first possession , Alabama responded with an 8 - play , 76 - yard touchdown drive . On the drive , Greg McElroy completed key passes to Colin Peek and Marquis Maze and Mark Ingram rushed for 37 yards and the touchdown in taking a 9 – 0 lead following a missed extra point . On the ensuing possession , Caleb Sturgis hit a 48 - yard field goal that made the score 9 – 3 at the end of the first quarter . Alabama scored first in the second quarter on a 34 - yard Tiffin field goal to complete a 68 yard drive and extend the Bama lead to 12 – 3 . Florida followed with what turned out to be its only touchdown drive of the game . Rushes of 23 yards and 15 yards from quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow were followed by a 23 - yard touchdown pass from Tebow to David Nelson , and Florida had cut the lead to two , 12 – 10 . On the next offensive play , Ingram took a short pass from McElroy and raced 69 yards to the Gator 3 - yard line , and ran it in for a touchdown from three yards out on the next play . The Gators ended the first half with a 32 - yard Sturgis field goal to make the halftime score 19 – 13 . Florida opened the third quarter with a three and out . On the Tide ' s first offensive series of the second half , McElroy completed a 28 - yard pass to Maze and was followed with a 15 - yard personal foul penalty in bringing the ball into the red zone . On the next play McElroy completed the drive with a 17 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Colin Peek . Alabama took a 26 – 13 lead . Florida got one first down on its next possession before punting the ball to Alabama . Taking the ball at its own 12 - yard line with 7 : 36 to go in the third quarter , Alabama held the ball for the rest of the quarter and into the fourth , using up 8 : 47 of game time on a 12 - play , 88 - yard drive . Ingram , who rushed for 37 yards on the drive , scored on a 1 - yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to increase Bama ' s lead to 32 – 13 . Florida mounted a late drive that reached the Alabama 6 before Tebow threw an interception to Javier Arenas in the end zone . On Florida ' s next possession , the Gators turned the ball over on downs at the Alabama 13 , and the Tide was able to run out the clock to secure the 32 – 13 victory . For his 239 yard , one touchdown passing performance , Greg McElroy was named the game ' s MVP . Ingram rushed for 113 and Trent Richardson rushed for 80 yards . The victory gave Alabama its 22nd SEC title , their third since the inception of the Championship Game and their first in ten years — the longest time the Crimson Tide program has ever gone without an SEC championship . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Gators to 20 – 14 ( 21 – 14 without the NCAA vacation of the 2005 victory ) . Alabama earned their third SEC championship since the inception of the SEC Championship Game in 1992 , and their 22nd SEC title . Texas . Sources : Following victories in their respective conference championship games , on December 6 the final Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) standings were unveiled , pitting the No . 1 ranked Crimson Tide against the No . 2 ranked Texas Longhorns for the 2010 BCS National Championship . The game was held in the Rose Bowl , although it was not the actual Rose Bowl Game , in which Ohio State beat Oregon six days earlier . Alabama came into the game having never beaten Texas , compiling an all - time 0 – 7 – 1 record against the Longhorns . Alabama won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff . After losing thirteen yards on a sack and a penalty , Nick Saban called for a fake punt , which resulted in a Texas interception by Blake Gideon at the Alabama 37 - yard line . On the initial possession , Texas quarterback Colt McCoy suffered a hit from Marcell Dareus which forced him to leave the game . Suffering from a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder , McCoy did not return . With McCoy out , freshman Garrett Gilbert replaced him at quarterback , and the Longhorns settled for a field goal and a 3 – 0 lead . The ensuing kickoff was an onside kick , and Texas retained possession of the ball when Alabama failed to field the kick . The Longhorns only advanced the ball five yards and Hunter Lawrence kicked another field goal to go ahead 6 – 0 . The Tide went ahead in the second quarter . Greg McElroy threw for only 58 yards on 6 of 11 passing for Alabama , but 23 of those yards came on a completion to Julio Jones that advanced the ball to the Texas 12 . Three plays later Mark Ingram ran it in from two yards out , and Alabama went ahead 7 – 6 . After an exchange of punts , Bama took possession on the Texas 49 - yard line , and on the second play Trent Richardson burst through a hole in the middle and raced 49 yards untouched for the touchdown , extending the lead to 14 – 6 . Texas continued to struggle for offense in McCoy ' s absence , and on the next possession a Texas drive ended when Javier Arenas intercepted a Gilbert pass at the Alabama 25 . Following a short punt late in the quarter , Bama drove to the Texas 9 , and increased their lead to 17 – 6 following a successful 26 - yard Leigh Tiffin field goal . It appeared that the Crimson Tide would go into the locker room leading 17 – 6 . However , after gaining nine yards on a rush up the middle , Texas called time out with 15 seconds left . With the ball at the Texas 37 , Gilbert threw a shovel pass to D . J . Monroe , who bobbled the ball and batted it into the arms of Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus , who lumbered 28 yards for a touchdown that made the halftime score 24 – 6 . The Crimson Tide played conservatively in the third quarter , attempting only two passes . Meanwhile Gilbert , who had struggled early in the game , started to find his rhythm . A 44 - yard touchdown pass from Gilbert to Jordan Shipley cut the lead to 24 – 13 . Early in the fourth , Leigh Tiffin missed a 52 - yard field goal . On the ensuing possession , the Longhorns drove 65 yards and scored another touchdown on a 28 - yard Shipley reception . A successful two - point conversion pulled the score to within three points , 24 – 21 . Following an Alabama punt , Texas gained possession on their own 7 yard line with 3 : 14 to go . On the second play of the drive , Eryk Anders laid a hit on Gilbert that forced a fumble , and Alabama recovered at the Texas 3 . Three plays later Ingram , who rushed for 116 yards in the game , ran it in for the score that gave Alabama a 31 – 21 lead . On the following drive , Gilbert threw a second interception to Arenas , and a Trent Richardson touchdown with 47 seconds left made the final score 37 – 21 . For their performances , Mark Ingram was named the game ' s offensive MVP and Marcell Dareus was named defensive MVP . Alabama beat Texas for the first time in their history , won its first ever BCS championship game , and won its first national championship since 1992 . It was Alabama ' s thirteenth claimed and eighth national championship by vote of the AP poll or coaches ' poll , the others coming in 1961 , 1964 , 1965 , 1973 , 1978 , 1979 , and 1992 , and ninth perfect season , the others coming in 1925 , 1930 , 1934 , 1945 , 1961 , 1966 , 1979 , and 1992 . Alabama became the third school in major college history to go 14 – 0 , joining the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes and the 2009 Boise State Broncos . Rankings . Entering the 2009 season , the Crimson Tide was ranked No . 5 in the AP and Coaches ' Preseason Polls . By week seven Alabama moved into the No . 1 ranking in the AP Poll and the No . 2 ranking in both the Coaches ' Poll and the initial BCS rankings . After dropping as low as No . 3 , following the victory against Florida in the SEC Championship Game Alabama captured the No . 1 ranking in the AP and Coaches ' Polls as well as in the final BCS rankings . Following the victory over Texas in the BCS Championship Game , Alabama was selected a unanimous No . 1 by the AP and as the No . 1 team in the Coaches ' Poll . After the season . Following the victory against Texas for the national championship , the team arrived at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport on the evening of January 8 . Several thousand fans were there to greet them upon their arrival . On January 16 , a public national championship celebration at Bryant – Denny Stadium was attended by well over 30 , 000 spectators . Speakers at the event included head coach Nick Saban and Alabama athletic director Mal Moore . All of the championship trophies were available for public viewing . In early March , the team was invited to the White House , where Obama greeted the team and offered congratulatory remarks for their championship season . For their victory , each team member and coach received three championship ring s designed by Jostens : a university - issued title ring , a BCS issued title ring , and another for winning the SEC championship . The rings were distributed as part of the annual A - Day weekend the following April . Also as part of the A - Day celebrations , the 2009 team captains Javier Arenas , Rolando McClain , and Mike Johnson were honored at the Walk of Fame ceremony at the base of Denny Chimes . As recognition for becoming the fifth Alabama head coach to win a national championship , the University unveiled a statue of coach Saban along the Walk of Champions outside Bryant – Denny Stadium as part of A - Day festivities on April 16 , 2011 . Final statistics . After their victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game , Alabama ' s final team statistics were released . On the defensive side of the ball , they ranked second in scoring defense ( 11 . 71 points per game ) , second in total defense ( 244 . 14 yards per game ) , second in rushing defense ( 78 . 14 yards per game ) and tenth in passing defense ( 166 . 00 yards per game ) . They were also the conference leaders in scoring , total and rushing defense . On offense , nationally the Crimson Tide ranked 12th in rushing offense ( 215 . 07 yards per game ) , 22nd in scoring offense ( 32 . 07 points per game ) , 42nd in total offense ( 403 . 00 yards per game ) and 92nd in passing offense ( 187 . 93 yards per game ) . Individually , Leigh Tiffin led the SEC with an average of 2 . 14 field goals and 9 . 43 points per game . Awards . In the weeks following the SEC Championship Game , multiple Alabama players were recognized for their on - field performances with a variety of awards and recognitions . At the team awards banquet on December 6 , Javier Arenas , Mike Johnson and Rolando McClain were each named the permanent captains of the 2009 squad . At that time both McClain and Mark Ingram were also named the 2009 co - most valuable players with McClain and Terrence Cody named defensive players of the year and Ingram and Johnson named the offensive players of the year . Conference . The SEC recognized several players for their individual performances with various awards . Alabama swept the three major individual awards on the AP All - SEC team , with Mark Ingram named Offensive Player of the Year , Rolando McClain named Defensive Player of the Year , and Nick Saban named Coach of the Year . In addition to Ingram and McClain , Javier Arenas ( as a defensive back ) , Terrance Cody , Mike Johnson , and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All - SEC First Team . James Carpenter , Colin Peek , and Arenas ( as a return specialist ) were named to the AP All - SEC Second Team . Eight players were named to the Coaches ' All - SEC First Team , including Arenas ( as both a defensive back and return specialist ) , Mark Barron , Cody , Ingram , Mike Johnson , McClain , and Tiffin . Julio Jones was named to the Coaches ' All - SEC Second Team . Nico Johnson , Barrett Jones , and Trent Richardson were named to the 2009 Freshman All - SEC Team . National . After the season , a number of Alabama players were named as national award winners and finalists . Mark Ingram became Alabama ' s first Heisman Trophy winner , with the closest margin of victory in the history of the award , over Stanford ' s Toby Gerhart . Ingram was a finalist for the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award . Linebacker Rolando McClain won the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Award . Other national award finalists included Terrence Cody ( for the Chuck Bednarik Award ) and Leigh Tiffin ( for the Lou Groza Award ) . Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart won the Broyles Award as the nation ' s top assistant coach . In addition to the individual awards , several players were also named to various national All - American Teams . Javier Arenas , Terrance Cody , Mark Ingram , Mike Johnson , Rolando McClain , and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All - American First Team and Mark Barron was named to the AP All - American Second Team . Cody , Ingram , Mike Johnson , and McClain were named to the Walter Camp All - American First Team . Arenas and Tiffin were named to the Walter Camp All - American Second Team . Arenas , Ingram , Mike Johnson , and McClain were named to the AFCA All - America Team . With their selections on various teams , Mike Johnson , Mark Ingram , Terrence Cody , Rolando McClain and Javier Arenas were each consensus All - America , with Ingram and McClain each being unanimous selections . All - star games . Seven Alabama players were selected by postseason all - star games . Lorenzo Washington appeared in the Texas vs . The Nation Game . Justin Woodall participated in the East - West Shrine Game . Javier Arenas , Terrence Cody , Mike Johnson , Colin Peek , and Leigh Tiffin played in the Under Armour Senior Bowl . NFL Draft . Of all the draft - eligible juniors , only Rolando McClain and Kareem Jackson declared their eligibility for the 2010 NFL Draft . Ten Alabama players , eight seniors and two juniors , were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine . The invited Alabama players were tight end Colin Peek , offensive lineman Mike Johnson , defensive linemen Terrence Cody , Brandon Deaderick and Lorenzo Washington , linebacker Rolando McClain , defensive backs Javier Arenas , Kareem Jackson and Justin Woodall , and placekicker Leigh Tiffin . In the draft , Alabama had seven players selected . The first round selections were McClain ( 8th Oakland Raiders ) and Jackson ( 20th Houston Texans ) ; the second round picks were Arenas ( 50th Kansas City Chiefs ) and Cody ( 57th Baltimore Ravens ) ; the third round pick was Mike Johnson ( 98th Atlanta Falcons ) ; and the seventh round picks were Marquis Johnson ( 211th St . Louis Rams ) and Deaderick ( 247th New England Patriots ) . Both Peek and Washington , with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys respectively , signed as undrafted free agent s . Following the 2010 season , juniors Mark Ingram , Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus declared their eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft . Five Alabama players , two seniors and three juniors , were invited to the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine . The invited players were offensive lineman James Carpenter , quarterback Greg McElroy , defensive end Marcell Dareus , running back Mark Ingram , and wide receiver Julio Jones . In the draft , Alabama set a school record with four players selected in the first round . The first round selections were Dareus ( 3rd Buffalo Bills ) , Jones ( 6th Atlanta Falcons ) , Carpenter ( 25th Seattle Seahawks ) and Ingram ( 28th New Orleans Saints ) . McElroy was selected in the seventh round ( 208th New York Jets ) . Preston Dial signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions in July 2011 after the NFL labor dispute was resolved .