Crimson Tide Set to Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary, Reunion of 2009 National Championship

Nick Saban's first national-title team at Alabama will be honored during Saturday's homecoming game against Arkansas

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There was Rocky Block. The drive against Auburn. The program’s first Heisman Trophy. The revenge game against Florida in the SEC Championship Game. And, of course, the national championship game in the Rose Bowl, which has its own set of unique memories.

But the No. 1 thing that will be talked about when the 2009 Crimson Tide gathers for its first on-campus reunion this weekend will be how no one can believe it’s already been 10 years.

“I know, can you believe it?” All-American offensive lineman Mike Johnson said.

“People always ask ‘What was the difference?’ That was really before the recruiting classes hit their stride. My answer is always, ‘We put in so much hard work.’

“When you look back at that year, and you look back at all the stuff we did with Coach [Scott] Cochrane, and all the stuff that we did throughout the season after 2008, I just feel like we out-worked everybody. Everybody had a role, and everybody worked their rear off.”

Nick Saban’s first of five national championship teams at Alabama, and the only one he’s had go undefeated, was also the first in college football history to defeat 10 opponents that finished with a winning record — plus it dispatched the three previous national champions along the way. Those left in the Crimson Tide’s wake included No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Florida, No. 10 Virginia Tech, No. 17 LSU and No. 20 Ole Miss.

Alabama also played South Carolina when it was ranked 22, a game that gets overlooked a lot.

Up only 13-6 in the second half, Alabama put Ingram in the wildcat formation and pounded away until his submissive 4-yard touchdown. He ended up with a career-high 246 rushing yards.

“That South Carolina game was like a microcosm of the entire year for me,” Johnson said. “Obviously we relied on our defense. I think it was Mark Barron who got an early pick-six [77 yards], and then it was our running game.

“Once our backs were against the wall, and once we had to have it, and we needed an eight-minute drive at the end of the game to not only make sure that we scored but to make sure we kept their offense off the field – you know we played a lot of ball control that year – that’s what we got. We put our foot down and said let’s put the ball in our best player’s hands.”

Greg McElroy to Roy Upchurch to complete "The Drive" at Auburn in 2009. 

T.G. Paschal/BamaCentral

Alabama did something similar when closing out the SEC Championship Game and began what’s become known as the Decade of Dominance, the greatest stretch in college football history by a program, which continues today.

The 17-play touchdown drive went 88 yards and ate up 8 minutes and 47 seconds of the second half. It not only capped the 32-13 victory, and avenged the loss in the 2008 SEC Championship Game, but signaled a changing of the guard.

“I’m not sure that people look back now at Florida as a dynasty,” Johnson said. “You know they won two out of three national titles, and if they beat us they would have won three out of four. It blows your mind to look back on it and go Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Takeo Spikes, you name it. That was a dynasty.

“That was one of our best games.”

Overall, Alabama pummeled Florida nearly across the board statistically, including first downs (26-13), rushing yards (251-88), time of possession (39:27-20:23), and third-down conversions (11 of 15 vs. 4 of 11). The Crimson Tide never trailed, scoring on six of its first seven possessions (minus running out the clock in the second quarter) before game MVP Greg McElroy eventually took a knee.

"We came with the attitude that we weren't going to be denied," said Ingram, who won his Heisman showdown with Tebow, gaining 113 rushing yards on 28 carries and three touchdowns against the nation's No. 1 defense, and also had a key 69-yard screen reception.

A week later in New York he was brought to tears while accepting the award.

"I'm a little overwhelmed right now," Ingram said during his emotional speech. "I'm just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner."

Meanwhile, junior linebacker Rolando McClain won Alabama's second Butkus Award for linebacker of the year and a record six players were named first-team All-Americans.

Numerous records were also set. Ingram set the UA mark for single-season rushing. Kicker Leigh Tiffin became the Tide's all-time scoring leader. Javier Arenas finished 10 yards short of becoming the NCAA's career leader in punt-return yards.

If that wasn't enough, Alabama won the BCS National Championship Game at the site of its first title, the Rose Bowl.

With four turnovers created by the defense, and both Ingram and freshman running back Trent Richardson tallying more than 100 rushing yards, Alabama toppled Texas 37-21.

Ingram was named the game's offensive MVP and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus took home the defensive award despite being credited with just one tackle (which knocked starter Colt McCoy out of the game). With three seconds remaining in the first half, he intercepted a shovel pass, made a spin move and ran over the quarterback en route to the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.

Although at one point Alabama scored 24 unanswered points, it didn’t seal the win until linebacker Eryk Anders caught Longhorns freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the blindside, with linebacker Courtney Upshaw recovering the fumble at the Texas 3 to set up Ingram’s final touchdown.

"This means everything to me, all of our coaches, everybody," former director of athletics Mal Moore said outside of the Alabama locker room. "I'm very proud."

When Alabama subsequently decided to hold a special celebration for the 2009 football season, the idea of a parade was nixed along with anything that didn't involve Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Walking through the home tunnel one more time with fans ready to greet them was what the players wanted. So on January 16, 2010, with approximately 38,000 on hand (and ignoring the lousy weather), the Capstone featured fireworks, tributes, speeches and a whole lot of hardware.

"I want everyone here to know this is not the end," Saban declared. "This is the beginning."

Boy, was it ever. 

Also check out:

• Today is the 10-year anniversary of Rocky Block

• Mike Johnson joins the "All Things Bama" podcast to talk about the 2009 team