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#REDIRECT [[Alabama_Crimson_Tide_football,_1940-1949]]
{| id="toc" border="0"
! {{MediaWiki:Toc}}:
|[[#1940|1940]] - [[#1941|1941]] - [[#1942|1942]] - [[#1943|1943]] - [[#1944|1944]] - [[#1945|1945]] - [[#1946|1946]] - [[#1947|1947]] - [[#1948|1948]] - [[#1949|1949]]
|}
__NOTOC__


==1940==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1940
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|Record=7-2
|ConfRecord=4-2
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Murphy High School|Murphy High School Stadium]]
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=
}}

The 1940 season opener, played against Spring Hill College at Murphy High School Stadium in Mobile, was the first night game in Alabama football history.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/datadump/fls_files/files/football/1940/1940.pdf 1940 season recap]</ref> Bama's loss to Tennessee was its third in a row in the [[Third Saturday in October]] rivalry.

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 27 || [[Spring Hill College|Spring Hill]] || Murphy H.S. Stadium • [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile, AL]] || '''W''' 26-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 5 || [[Mercer University|Mercer]] || Denny Stadium • [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 20-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 12 || [[Samford Bulldogs|Samford]] || Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 31-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 19 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || Legion Field • [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''L''' 12-27
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 2 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington, KY]] || '''W''' 25-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 9 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || Legion Field • Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 13-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 16 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, GA]] || '''W''' 14-13
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 23 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || Legion Field • Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 25-21
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 30 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL || '''L''' 0-13
|}

==1941==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1941
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|APRank = 20<ref>[http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1941 Final 1941 AP poll]</ref>
|Record=9-2
|ConfRecord=5-2
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />
|Champion= National Champions <ref name=PastChampions/>
|BowlTourney=[[Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]]
|BowlTourneyResult=W 29-21 vs. [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]]
}}

Alabama beat Tulane 19-14 despite being outgained in total yards, 252-123. Superior special teams that included a punt return for a touchdown were the key.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/datadump/fls_files/files/football/1941/1941.pdf 1941 game recaps]</ref> The Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M featured an even stranger result. In that game Alabama was outgained 309 yards to 75 and earned just one first down vs. 13 for the Aggies, yet still Alabama won 29-21. The cause was a staggering twelve turnovers by A&M (seven interceptions and five fumbles). Alabama scored a touchdown on a 72-yard punt return, scored on a 12-yard interception return, scored two touchdowns after recovering A&M fumbles on the A&M 21- and 24-yard lines, and kicked a field goal after intercepting a pass on the Texas A&M 17.<ref name=bowlhist>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-bowlrecords.pdf Alabama bowl history]</ref><ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/cottonbowl/history/1942.html "Alabama Takes Thriller From Aggies, 29-21"], ''[[Dallas Morning News]]'', Jan. 2, 1942</ref>

The Alabama football program claims 1941 as a national championship on the basis of Alabama's top ranking for 1941 in the Houlgate System,<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/MediaGuide_09FB.pdf 2009 Alabama Football Media Guide, pg. 143]</ref>, a mathematical ranking system devised by Dale Houlgate and syndicated in newspapers between 1927 and 1958.<ref>[http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/nd-m-fb-a-nattit.html Notre Dame National Championships]</ref> However, Alabama finished third in SEC play in 1941,<ref name=2009secguidepg130>[http://www.secsports.com/new/09sec_guide_3of4.pdf 2009 SEC Football Media Guide, p. 130]</ref> and in the final Associated Press poll for 1941 was ranked 20th. [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] was the national champion for 1941 in the AP poll and in most other selectors.<ref>[http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009FBS.pdf NCAA Football FBS Subdivision Records, p. 79]</ref> The NCAA does list both Texas and Alabama as being having been selected by at least one organization for the season.<ref name=PastChampions>[http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/NCAA/Sports%20and%20Championship/General%20Information/ia_football_past_champs.html Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions]></ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 27 || [[Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns|Louisiana-Lafayette]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 47-6
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 4 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''L''' 0-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 11 || [[Samford Bulldogs|Samford]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] || '''W''' 61-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 18 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville, TN]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''W''' 9-2
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 25 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 27-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 1 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 30-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 8 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans LA]] || '''W''' 19-4
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 15 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 20-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 22 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]] || '''L''' 0-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 28 || [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami]] || [[Miami, Florida|Miami, FL]] || '''W''' 21-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| January 1 || [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] || [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas, TX]] ([[Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl]]) || '''W''' 29-21
|}

==1942==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1942
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|APRank = 10<ref>[http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1942 Final AP poll, 1942]</ref>
|Record=8-3
|ConfRecord=4-2
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Cramton Bowl]]<br />[[Ladd Peebles Stadium|Ladd Stadium]]
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=[[Orange Bowl]]
|BowlTourneyResult=W 37-21 vs. [[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]]
}}

In 1942 Alabama played home games in four different stadia. In addition to home dates in Legion Field in Birmingham and Denny Stadium on campus in Tuscaloosa, the Tide played one game each at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery and Ladd Stadium in Mobile.

A safety on a fumbled kickoff and a 38-yard touchdown run by running back Tom Jenkins were enough for an 8-0 win over Tennessee. However, in a game that decided the SEC championship for 1942, Alabama blew a 10-0 fourth quarter lead against Georgia. [[Frank Sinkwich]], who went on to win the [[Heisman Trophy]] for 1942, threw two touchdown passes in the fourth, followed by a fumble return for a TD which iced Georgia's 21-10 victory.

With the United States mobilizing for [[World War II]] and millions of men joining the armed forces, Alabama's schedule for 1942 included two games against military all-star teams. 'Bama won 27-0 against Pensacola Naval Air Station, a team that included former Alabama end Ben McLeod as well as players formerly of Fordham, LSU and Nebraska, but lost to a Georgia Pre-Flight squad that boasted former All-Americans from Tennessee and Tulane as well as other players with college experience.

Alabama's first ever Orange Bowl was a wild affair against Boston College. Alabama trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, scored 22 points in the second quarter to go into halftime up 22-21, then dominated the second half to win the game 37-21.<ref name=bowlhist/>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 25 || [[Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns|Louisiana-Lafayette]] || [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery, AL]] || '''W''' 54-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 3 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 21-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 10 || [[Naval Air Station Pensacola|Pensacola NAS]] || [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile, AL]] || '''W''' 27-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 17 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''W''' 8-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 24 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Lexington, Kentucky| Lexington, KY]] || '''W''' 14-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 31 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, GA]] || '''L''' 10-21
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 7 || [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 19-4
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 14 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || Atlanta, GA || '''L''' 0-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 21 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 27-7
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 28 || Georgia Navy Pre-Flight || Birmingham, AL || '''L''' 19-35
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| January 1 || [[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]] || [[Miami, Florida|Miami, FL]] ([[Orange Bowl]]) || '''W''' 37-21
|}

==1943==
Due to the manpower requirements of [[World War II]], Alabama did not field a football team in 1943. Only five SEC members out of 12 played football that year.<ref name=2009secguidepg130/>

==1944==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1944
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|Record=5-2-2
|ConfRecord=3-1-2
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Cramton Bowl]]<br />[[Ladd Peebles Stadium|Ladd Stadium]]
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=[[Sugar Bowl]]
|BowlTourneyResult=L 29-26 vs. [[Duke Blue Devils football|Duke]]
}}

With most of America's youth still serving in the armed forces, Frank Thomas scrambled to assemble a team in 1944. Finally he was able to fill out a roster, mostly compromised of 17-year-old freshmen and students who had been rejected as unsuitable for military service. This team went down in Tide history as the "War Babies".<ref>Scott, Richard. ''Legends of Alabama Football''. Sports Publishing LLC, 2004, ISBN 9781582612775, p. 12</ref> Its leader was a 155-pound halfback named [[Harry Gilmer]]. Gilmer, running and passing out of the [[Notre Dame Box]] offense, gained 4,657 yards on offense in four years at Alabama.<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf "The Record Book", p. 12]</ref> His 52 touchdowns (29 TD passes, 19 TD runs, two punt returns and one kickoff return) set an Alabama record that still stands,<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf "The Record Book", p. 13]</ref> as does his school record 1,119 punt return yards.<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf "The Record Book", p. 26]</ref> After leaving Alabama Gilmer was the first pick in the [[1948 NFL Draft]]. He went on to play nine years in the NFL for the [[Washington Redskins|Redskins]] and [[Detroit Lions|Lions]]. In 1993 Gilmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.<ref>[http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=40063 College Football Hall of Fame profile]</ref>

The 1944 season opener featured Gilmer against another star making his college debut: future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] member [[Y.A. Tittle]], playing for LSU. Gilmer ran 23 yards for one touchdown and returned a kickoff 95 yards for another touchdown, but LSU blocked two Alabama punts for two touchdowns. The result was a 27-27 tie. A scoreless tie with Tennessee and a loss to Georgia left Alabama in fourth place in the SEC, but the Tide still got an invitation to the [[Sugar Bowl]].<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/datadump/fls_files/files/football/1944/1944.pdf 1944 game recaps]</ref>

The War Babies faced off against a Duke team loaded with veterans and Navy trainees.<ref>Scott, p. 65</ref> The result was a game that [[Grantland Rice]] called "one of the great thrillers of all time". After Duke scored on its opening possession Alabama scored three touchdowns in a row to take a 19-7 second quarter lead. Duke scored again before the half and scored another touchdown in the third to go ahead 20-19 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, Bobby Morrow of Alabama intercepted a Duke pass to go back in front 26-20. Late in the fourth, Duke turned the ball over on downs at the Alabama 1. Bama yielded an intentional safety so Gilmer could kick off from the 20, but Duke ran the punt back to the Alabama 39 and scored two plays later, taking a 29-26 lead with less than a minute left. On the last play of the game Gilmer hit Ralph Jones with a pass at the Duke 30, but Duke safety Gordon Carver dove, grabbed Jones by the foot, and dragged him down at the Duke 24 as time expired.<ref>[http://allstatesugarbowl.org/site156.php 1945 Sugar Bowl recap]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ffffe6"
| September 30 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA]] || '''T''' 27-27
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 7 || [[Samford Bulldogs|Samford]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] || '''W''' 63-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 14 || [[Millsaps_Majors|Millsaps]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 55-0
|-style="background: #ffffe6"
| October 21 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville, TN]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''T''' 0-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 27 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery, AL]] || '''W''' 41-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 4 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || Birmingham, AL || '''L''' 7-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 11 || [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] || [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile, AL]] || '''W''' 34-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 18 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 19-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| January 1 || [[Duke Blue Devils football|Duke]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans, LA]] ([[Sugar Bowl]]) || '''L''' 26-29
|}

==1945==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1945
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|APRank = 3<ref>[http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1945 Final AP poll, 1945]</ref>
|Record=10-0
|ConfRecord=6-0
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Cramton Bowl]]
|Champion=SEC Champions
|BowlTourney=[[Rose Bowl]]
|BowlTourneyResult=W 34-14 vs. [[Southern California Trojans football|USC]]
}}

The War Babies had a year of experience under their belts in 1945. It paid off with one of the most spectacularly successful seasons in the history of Alabama football. The Tide stormed to a 10-0 record. Bama scored 430 points on the season to just 80 for the opposition. The defense recorded three shutouts; the offense scored 50 points or more in five games. The closest margin of victory was 14 points, against Georgia and future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] member [[Charley Trippi]]. Against Kentucky, Gilmer ran for 216 yards on only six carries and completed both of his only two pass attempts for 50 more yards. Only once all year, in the Mississippi State game, did Alabama fail to score a touchdown on its opening drive.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/datadump/fls_files/files/football/1945/1945.pdf 1945 game recaps]</ref>

Alabama's reward was its sixth Rose Bowl appearance, which matched the Tide up against the Trojans of Southern Cal. It was as much of a blowout as the regular season had been, with the Tide pounding the Trojans 34-14. At the half, Alabama led 20-0 and USC had -24 yards total offense; it was 27-0 in the third quarter by the time USC earned its first first down. USC coach [[Jeff Cravath]] said of Thomas after the game: "There's a great coach. I'll never forget what he did today. If he had wanted to name the score he could have."<ref>Scott, p. 12</ref> It was the last Rose Bowl game ever in which the visiting spot was open to any team from the east; the very next year the Rose Bowl entered into an agreement to pit the champion of the [[Pacific Coast Conference]] (the forerunner of the modern [[Pac-10 Conference|Pac-10]]) against the champion of the Big Nine Conference (the future [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]]).

The 1945 season was the fourth perfect season in Alabama history, following the perfect seasons of 1925, 1930, and 1934. However, Alabama did not win the national championship in 1945; that honor went to the [[1945 Army Cadets football team|Army Cadets]] team that went 9-0 and outscored its opponents by a 412-46 margin. Alabama finished third in the AP poll behind the Cadets and a Navy team that went 7-1-1.

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 29 || [[Keesler Air Force Base|Keesler Field]] || [[Biloxi, Mississippi|Biloxi, MS]] || '''W''' 21-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 6 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA]] || '''W''' 26-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 13 || [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]] || [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery, AL]] || '''W''' 55-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 20 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''W''' 25-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 27 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 28-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 3 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville, KY]] || '''W''' 60-19
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 17 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]] || '''W''' 71-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 24 || Pensacola NAS || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 55-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| December 1 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 55-13
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| January 1 || [[USC Trojans football|USC]] || [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena, CA]] ([[Rose Bowl]]) || '''W''' 34-14
|}

==1946==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1946
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|Record=7-4
|ConfRecord=4-3
|HeadCoach=[[Frank_Thomas_(American_football)|Frank Thomas]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Cramton Bowl]]<br />
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=
}}

Alabama's 14-game winning streak was snapped when the Tide traveled to Knoxville and lost to Tennessee 12-0.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/alab-m-footbl-sched-1946.html 1946 schedule and results]</ref> One week later Bama faced off against the Kentucky Wildcats and their young new coach, [[Bear Bryant|Paul "Bear" Bryant]], and won a 21-7 victory. However, victory over the Bear was followed by losses to Georgia and LSU. A rare road trip out of the southeast saw Alabama travel to Boston, Massachusetts, only to lose to Boston College.

The struggles of the 1946 team might have been caused in part by the deteriorating health of coach Frank Thomas. High blood pressure left him bedridden for most of the 1946 season, unable to stand for long periods, and forced to ride in a trailer to conduct many Alabama practices. After the 1946 season his ill health forced his resignation when he was only 48 years old. Thomas died in Tuscaloosa on May 10, 1954.<ref>Scott, pp. 12-13</ref> He coached fifteen seasons at Alabama, winning four SEC championships and compiling a 115-24-7 record, for an .812 winning percentage.<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf "The Record Book", p. 45]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 20 || [[Furman University|Furman]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] || '''W''' 26-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 28 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans, LA]] || '''W''' 7-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 5 || [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]] || [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia, SC]] || '''W''' 14-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 12 || [[Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns|Louisiana-Lafayette]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 54-0
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 19 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville, TN]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''L''' 0-12
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 26 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery, AL]] || '''W''' 21-7
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 2 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || [[Athens, Georgia|Athens, GA]] || '''L''' 0-14
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 9 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA]] || '''L''' 21-31
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 16 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 12-7
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 23 || [[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]] || [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston, MA]] || '''L''' 7-13
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 30 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 24-7
|}

==1947==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1947
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|APRank = 6<ref>[http://appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1947 Final AP poll, 1947]</ref>
|Record=8-3
|ConfRecord=5-2
|HeadCoach=[[Harold Drew]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=[[1948 Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowl]]
|BowlTourneyResult=L 27-7 vs. [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]]
}}

Harold "Red" Drew was named Alabama's new coach in 1947. He came to the Tide after stints at Birminghan Southern, Tennessee-Chattanooga, and Mississippi. Losses early in the season to a bad Tulane team<ref name=2009secguidepg130/> and a mediocre Vanderbilt team cost Alabama a conference title in 1947. The loss to Tulane was particularly galling, as one of Tulane's three touchdowns came on a 103-yard kickoff return and another came on an interception return.<ref>[http://bryantmuseum.ua.edu/includes/games.cfm?type=2&val=90 1947 Tulane recap]</ref> However, after those disappointments Alabama won seven games in a row, including another victory over Bear Bryant and the Kentucky Wildcats.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/alab-m-footbl-sched-1947.html 1947 game results]</ref>
Harry Gilmer and the War Babies ended their Alabama careers on a down note when they lost to the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl, 27-7. Texas held Alabama to 103 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on a blocked punt and an interception return.<ref>[http://allstatesugarbowl.org/site153.php 1948 Sugar Bowl recap]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| September 20 || [[Southern Miss Football|Southern Miss]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] || '''W''' 34-7
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| September 27 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans, LA]] || '''L''' 20-21
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 4 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]] || '''L''' 7-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 11 || [[Duquesne Dukes|Duquesne]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 26-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 18 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || Birmingham, AL ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''W''' 10-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 25 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || [[Athens, Georgia|Athens, GA]] || '''W''' 17-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 1 || [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] || [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington, KY]] || '''W''' 13-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 15 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 14-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 22 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 41-12
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 29 || [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami]] || [[Miami, Florida|Miami, FL]] || '''W''' 21-6
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| January 1 || [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans, LA]] ([[1948 Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowl]]) || '''L''' 7-27
|}

==1948==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1948
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|Record=6-4-1
|ConfRecord=4-4-1
|HeadCoach=[[Harold Drew]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Ladd Peebles Stadium|Ladd Stadium]]
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=
}}

Alabama football fell off sharply in 1948. The season opening loss to Tulane was the first time Alabama started its season with a loss since the 1903 team kicked off with a 30-0 loss to Vanderbilt. The next week the Tide had to score a TD with ten seconds left to salvage a tie with Vanderbilt.<ref>[http://bryantmuseum.ua.edu/includes/games.cfm?type=2&val=79 1948 Vanderbilt recap]</ref> A 35-0 loss to eventual SEC champion Georgia<ref name=2009secguidepg130/> was the worst loss for Alabama since a 36-0 loss to Georgia Tech in 1910.<ref>[http://bryantmuseum.ua.edu/includes/games.cfm?type=2&val=77 1948 Georgia recap]</ref> The Tide struggled home with a 6-4-1 record.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/alab-m-footbl-sched-1948.html 1948 game results]</ref>

This otherwise forgettable season is noteworthy for one event: the resumption of the [[Iron Bowl]] after a 40-year hiatus. The Iron Bowl dated all the way back to Alabama's very first team in 1892. The two schools met regularly through 1895 and then, after a five-year hiatus, regularly from 1900 through 1907. However, trivial disputes led to the series being discontinued in 1908. Alabama and Auburn disagreed on how much [[per diem]] to allow players for the trip to Birmingham, how many players each school should bring, and where to find officials. By the time all these matters were resolved, it was too late to play in 1908, and the series ended. By 1947 pressure to renew the Iron Bowl had grown to the point that the state legislature threatened to withhold funding from the two schools unless they scheduled a game. In 1948 the two schools finally agreed to meet on a football field.<ref>Norman, Geoffrey. ''Alabama Showdown''. 1986, Zebra Books paperback (Kensington Publishing Co.), ISBN 0821721577, pp. 48-50</ref> The result was a 55-0 Tide victory that remains the most lopsided by either team in the history of the series.<ref>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/MediaGuide_09FB.pdf 2009 Alabama Football Media Guide, p. 175]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| September 25 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans, LA]] || '''L''' 14-21
|-style="background: #ffffe6;"
| October 2 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile, AL]] || '''T''' 14-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 8 || [[Duquesne Dukes|Duquesne]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 48-6
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 16 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville, TN]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''L''' 6-21
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 23 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || [[Starkville, Mississippi|Starkville, MS]] || '''W''' 10-7
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 30 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] || '''L''' 0-35
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 6 || [[Southern Miss Football|Southern Miss]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 27-0
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 13 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, GA]] || '''W''' 14-12
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| November 20 || [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] || [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA]] || '''L''' 6-26
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 27 || [[Florida Gators football|Florida]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 34-28
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| December 4 || [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] || Birmingham, AL ([[Iron Bowl]]) || '''W''' 55-0
|}

==1949==
{{NCAATeamFootballSeason
|Year=1949
|Team=Alabama Crimson Tide
|Image=
|ImageSize=
|Conference=Southeastern Conference
|ShortConference=SEC
|Record=6-3-1
|ConfRecord=4-3-1
|HeadCoach=[[Harold Drew]]
|StadiumArena = [[Bryant-Denny Stadium|Denny Stadium]]<br />[[Legion Field]]<br />[[Ladd Peebles Stadium|Ladd Stadium]]
|Champion=
|BowlTourney=
}}

Alabama wallowed in mediocrity again in 1949. Lowlights included a third straight loss to Tulane and a loss to Vanderbilt. Alabama battled Tennessee to a 7-7 tie and won games against Georgia and Georgia Tech.<ref>[http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/alab-m-footbl-sched-1949.html 1949 game results]</ref> The Tide entered the Iron Bowl a three-touchdown favorite but suffered an embarrassing 14-13 loss to Auburn in which a missed extra point proved decisive.<ref>[http://bryantmuseum.ua.edu/includes/games.cfm?type=2&val=81 1949 Auburn recap]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Opponent || Site || Result
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| September 24 || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] || [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile, AL]] || '''L''' 14-28
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| October 1 || [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] || [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]] || '''L''' 7-14
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 7 || [[Duquesne Dukes|Duquesne]] || [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa, AL]] || '''W''' 48-8
|-style="background: #ffffe6;"
| October 15 || [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] || [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham, AL]] ([[Third Saturday in October]]) || '''T''' 7-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 22 || [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 35-6
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| October 29 || [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] || [[Athens, Georgia|Athens, GA]] || '''W''' 14-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 12 || [[Georgia Tech football|Georgia Tech]] || Birmingham, AL || '''W''' 20-7
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 19 || [[Southern Miss Football|Southern Miss]] || Tuscaloosa, AL || '''W''' 34-26
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
| November 26 || [[Florida Gators football|Florida]] || [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainsesville, FL]] || '''W''' 35-13
|-style="background: #ffdddd"
| December 3 || [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] || Birmingham, AL ([[Iron Bowl]]) || '''L''' 13-14
|}

==References and external links==
<references/>
*[http://bryantmuseum.ua.edu/direction.cfm?dir=games&type=3 All-Time Alabama schedules]
*[http://www.crimsontider.com/records.htm All-Time Alabama scheudles] at crimsontider.com

{{AlabamaFootballSeasons}}

[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons]]

Revision as of 19:23, 9 February 2010

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