Nick Saban's Tenure in Review: Season #6 - 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide

They say the hardest part about winning a championship is doing it twice. Prior to the 2012 college football season, the last team to win back-to-back national championships had been those legendary Nebraska teams of 1994 and 1995. Prior to that, you had to go all the way back to 1978 and 1979 to win Alabama last won back-to-back national titles. While the Tide had lost a few key weapons from that legendary 2011 squad, enough pieces were coming back to make a serious run at the national title.

What came next was without question one of the most dominant teams of the Nick Saban Era, featuring the nation's best defense and one of the most efficient offenses in all of college football. The Tide opened up the season with a 41-14 win over #8 Michigan in Arlington, Texas and failed to look back after that. And while the Tide did fall to a Johnny Manziel-led Texas A&M squad in Tuscaloosa, fate would once again smile on Alabama as the right teams lost at the right times to catapult Bama back into the national championship picture. When it was all said and done, the Crimson Tide captured its second consecutive national championship (and third in four years) with a dominating 42-14 win over #1 Notre Dame in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

2012 Alabama Crimson Tide

Overall Record: 13 wins, 1 loss
SEC Record: 7 wins, 1 loss (1st in SEC West)
AP Poll Finish: #1
Coaches Poll Finish: #1

Offensive Coordinator: Doug Nussmeier
Defensive Coordinator: Kirby Smart
Permanent Captains: Barrett Jones, Damion Square, and Chance Warmack
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Barrett Jones (C), Chance Warmack (G), C.J. Mosley (LB), and Dee Milliner (CB)
1st Team All-SEC: Eddie Lacy (RB), Barrett Jones (C), Chance Warmack (G), D.J. Fluker (T), C.J. Mosley (LB), and Dee Milliner (CB)

Total Offense: 445.5 YPG (#31)
Total Defense: 250.0 YPG (#1)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: #2 (Per Rivals)

Schedule

vs. #8 Michigan (W) 41-14 [Arlington, TX]
vs. Western Kentucky (W) 35-0
@ #21 Arkansas (W) 52-0
vs. Florida Atlantic (W) 40-7
vs. Ole Miss (W) 33-14
@ Missouri (W) 42-10
@ Tennessee (W) 44-13
vs. #13 Mississippi State (W) 38-7 [Homecoming]
@ #5 LSU (W) 21-17
vs. #15 Texas A&M (L) 24-29
vs. Western Carolina (W) 49-0
vs. Auburn (W) 49-0 [Senior Day]
vs. #3 Georgia (W) 32-28 [SEC Championship Game]
vs. #1 Notre Dame (W) 42-14

[b]Leading Passer
A.J. McCarron
211-314 67.2 Pct 2,933 Yds 30 TDs 3 INTs

Leading Rusher
Eddie Lacy
204 Att 1,322 Yds 6.5 Avg 17 TDs

Leading Receiver
Amari Cooper
59 Rec 1,000 Yds 16.9 Avg 11 TDs