Bama Central

The Greatest Play in Crimson Tide History? Roll Call, January 8, 2025

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama athletics, including how to watch the Crimson Tide.

Christopher Walsh

The 'Bama Stops Penn State cover of Sports Illustrated, from the goal-line stand in the Sugar Bowl, was published on Jan. 8, 1979.
The 'Bama Stops Penn State cover of Sports Illustrated, from the goal-line stand in the Sugar Bowl, was published on Jan. 8, 1979. / Sports Illustrated
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On this date 46 years ago, Sports Illustrated published one of the most iconic college football covers after Alabama beat Penn State 14-7 in the Sugar Bowl to lay claim to the national title. It featured the huge fourth-and-inches goal-line stop made by linebacker Barry Krauss and the defense on Penn State running back Mike Guman.

“Greatest hit I’ve ever had,” Krauss said of the tackle to preserve the win for Paul W. "Bear" Bryant's fifth national title.

Excerpt (by John Underwood) from The Rising of the Tide: "On the day before his Sugar Bowl showdown with Penn State, Bear Bryant breakfasted in the elegant refuge of his hotel suite high above New Orleans on a floppy-looking egg-and-bacon sandwich (brought up in a brown paper bag) and coffee in a Styrofoam cup. Between swallows the Bear was saying that if there was one thing you could be sure of about his Alabama defense it was that you couldn't be sure of his Alabama defense. It had been great at times and unsound at times, and that's "not recommended" when you play the No. 1 team in the nation, one that had not lost in 19 games.

"Bear noted that the Tide defense had been hurt a lot. That it had been particularly slowed in the secondary by those injuries, and by, well, being slow in the secondary. And that it was about to go under the gun against a quarterback, Penn State's Chuck Fusina, whom Coach Joe Paterno called the best passer he ever had. The situation fairly cried out for a dedicated, if not wild-eyed, pass rush, and "rushing the passer is the thing we do worst," said Bryant.

"As for the Alabama fans who were establishing themselves as No. 1 in whoops and hollers downstairs in the hotel and up and down Bourbon Street, Bryant said he wished they'd be quiet until after the game.

"Well, Bear, you can come down now and join the merry group. And bring the defense with you. On second thought, have them bring you."

Some consider the goal-line stand the greatest play in Crimson Tide history. Others claim it was second-and-26 in overtime the National Championship Game, which happened on this date in 2018:

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Did You Notice?

• The new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced that Montana Fouts has signed to play in the professional league during its inaugural season. A four-team draft will be held before the four-week season begins play this summer. Another Crimson Tide softball legend, Kelly Kretschman, has signed on to be a head coach.

AUSL teams, general managers and coaches


Bandits: Jenny Dalton-Hill (general manager); Stacey Nuveman-Deniz (head coach)
Blaze: Dana Sorensen (general manager); Alisa Goler (head coach)
Talons: Lisa Fernandez (general manager); Howard Dobson (head coach)
Volts: Cat Osterman (general manager); Kelly Kretschman (head coach)

• Although Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold appeared to suffer a major injury against the Vikings on Sunday night, X-rays were negative and he's listed as day-to-day with a contusion. After earning the top seed in the NFC playoffs the Lions have a bye this week.

• Former Crimson Tide tight end Ty Lockwood announced his transfer to Boston College to play for Bill O'Brien.

• Alabama guard Jaeden Roberts announced on Instagram that he's returning for his senior year in 2025.

• Brandon Miller netted 13 points as the Charlotte Hornets snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 115-104 win over the Phoenix Suns.

On This Date in Crimson Tide History:

January 8, 1988: Homer Smith, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs and former head coach at Pacific and Army, was named the offensive coach for the Crimson Tide.

January 8, 2018: Freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench to spark a second-half comeback and threw a 41-yard touchdown to freshman wide receiver DeVonta Smith to give Alabama a 26-23 overtime victory against Georgia in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Tagovailoa took a sack on Alabama's first play of overtime of the National Championship Game, losing 16 yards, giving the play its famous nickname: Second-and-26.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

[On winning his sixth national title] "I could not believe it. There's lots of highs and lows. Last year we lost on the last play of the game and this year we won on the last play of the game. These kids really responded the right way. We said last year, `Don't waste the feeling.' They sure didn't, the way they played tonight."

- Nick Saban

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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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