Best Comeback Wins of the Nick Saban Era

With Nick Saban's retiring, BamaCentral is looking back at some of the most iconic moments and games of his Alabama career.

Nick Saban won over 200 games as the Alabama head coach, and many of those games were decided by halftime or the fourth quarter. Saban built the program into a dynasty that blew out top-25 teams on a consistent basis and even beat teams by double-digits in the College Football Playoff. 

But not every game was like that. Over his 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, he helped stage some legendary comebacks. With Saban announcing his retirement last week, BamaCentral is taking a look back at some of the most iconic moments and games of his Alabama career, and this list includes some of the most memorable. 

Here are the best five comeback wins:

Honorable mention: 2007 vs. Arkansas, 2012 SEC Championship vs. Georgia, 2014 at LSU, 2018 SEC Championship vs. Georgia

5. 2009 Iron Bowl- Alabama 26, Auburn 21

T.G. Paschal/Bama Central

Early on in the Saban era, the Iron Bowl was still a sore spot for Crimson Tide fans. In 2009, Alabama was just two years removed from Auburn's six-year winning streak from 2002-2007. 

Alabama had a lot on the line coming into the 2009 Iron Bowl: an undefeated record and hopes of playing in the BCS championship game. The Crimson Tide hadn't won an Iron Bowl in Auburn since 2001, and late in the fourth quarter, it looked like it might remain that way. 

The game was tied at halftime, but the Tigers held a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. Leigh Tiffin hit two field goals in the third to pull Alabama within one point at 21-20, but the Crimson Tide still trailed when it got the ball back with 8:01 left in the game. 

With the help of Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones, Greg McElroy led Alabama down the field on a methodical 15-play drive that took 7:03 off the clock. The drive was capped by a screen pass to Roy Upchurch in the front corner of the end zone to put Alabama ahead 26-21 with a little over a minute left. 

The Crimson Tide couldn't convert on the two-point conversion, but it wouldn't need to. The score would hold, and Alabama snapped its losing streak in Auburn and went on to win Saban's first national title at Alabama a few weeks later. 

4. 2012 at LSU- Alabama 21, LSU 17

Crystal Logiudice-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama/LSU rivalry grew even more heated when Saban came to Tuscaloosa. It went up another notch when the two teams squared off for the national title at the end of the 2011 season, with the Tide getting revenge on the Tigers in New Orleans for Saban's second title at Alabama. 

Alabama took an undefeated record and No. 1 ranking into Death Valley for the 2012 matchup. The Crimson Tide held a 14-3 lead at halftime, but the offense with AJ McCarron went completely stagnant in the second half. LSU started to build momentum behind the frenzied crowd and led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers were driving down the field with the three-point lead. The Alabama defense held strong and got a stop to hold LSU to a field goal attempt with 1:39 left. Drew Alleman missed the field goal, and the Tide had new life. 

Alabama got the ball back with 1:34 left and no timeouts. Prior to the drive, McCarron had completed just one pass in the second half. On the drive, he found a steady connection with Kevin Norwood to get Alabama deep into LSU territory. The Tigers finally dialed up a blitz after playing in soft coverage, and the Tide was ready for it. McCarron connected with then-freshman running back TJ Yeldon on a screen pass that he took 28 yards for the touchdown with 51 seconds left to put Alabama up 21-17. 

Zach Mettenberger stood no chance against the ferocious Alabama defense on the final drive, and Damion Square ended the game with a sack of Mettenberger. Alabama would go on to win the national championship a few games later. 

3. 2023 Iron Bowl- Alabama 27, Auburn 24

John Reed / USA Today Sports

The 2023 Iron Bowl provided another familiar scene in Auburn– a highly-ranked Alabama team with a lot to play for and a floundering Auburn team playing for the chance to ruin Alabama's season. 

Alabama was No. 8, but had a 10-1 record and was fighting for a spot to get back in the College Football Playoff, but Auburn was once again playing spoiler. After moving the ball pretty consistently in the first half, the Alabama offense struggled to put drives together in the second half. And all of a sudden, there were less than five minutes on the clock with the Tigers holding a 24-20 lead. 

The Alabama offense got the ball back with 6:19 left with the opportunity to go down the field and take the lead. However, once again, it had to punt, but the Tide was given a second chance when Auburn's returner muffed the punt. 

Jalen Milroe took over at the Auburn 30 with 4:19 to go. Milroe scrambled inside the red zone on the next play, and Alabama seemed in prime position to take the lead with plenty of time left. But a few sacks, penalties and bad snaps later, the Crimson Tide was facing fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line with the season on the line. On the fourth-down play, Milroe was given plenty of time to throw and found Isaiah Bond in the back of the end zone to put Alabama up 27-24 with 32 seconds to go. 

Against all odds, Alabama completed the comeback to keep its CFP hopes alive. Even with Bond transferring to Texas earlier this week, the play will still go down in Alabama lore. 

2. 2021 Iron Bowl- Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4OT)

© Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Are you starting to sense a pattern here? Alabama came into Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2021 having to win to make the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide had Bryce Young under center, who would go on to win the Heisman trophy that season with one of the best seasons for a quarterback in Alabama history. Yet, Alabama had zero points entering the fourth quarter. 

The offense finally started to gain a little momentum on the first drive of the fourth quarter, but Young was sacked once again to kill the drive. Alabama was able to get three points out of it on a Will Reichard field goal to cut into the deficit at 10-3. 

Alabama turned it over on downs at midfield with exactly two minutes to go. Auburn running back Tank Bigsby ran out of bounds on the ensuing possession to save Alabama a timeout and leave a little bit of time on the clock for Young to work with after the Tide defense got a stop. 

However, it wasn't much time, and Alabama wasn't in a favorable position at all. The Crimson Tide got the ball at its own 3-yard line with 1:32 and no timeouts trailing by seven points. Young faced third-and-10 from his own 3 and calmly connected with John Metchie over the middle for a first down. 

Young continued to lead Alabama down the field, and on third-and-10 from the Auburn 28, he perfectly placed a ball to Ja'Corey Brooks in the front corner of the end zone to tie the game at 10-10 with 24 seconds left to force the game into overtime for the first time in the history of the Iron Bowl

It would take four overtimes, but eventually Alabama outlasted Auburn when Young once again connected with Metchie– this time on a two-point conversion to win the game in the fourth overtime. 

1. 2017 National Championship- Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Saban's decision at halftime of this game would turn out to be one of his boldest and best. Alabama was being shut out at the half against Georgia. Jalen Hurts was just 3-of-8 for 21 yards. With Alabama facing a 13-0 deficit, Saban decided to make a switch. 

True freshman Tua Tagovailoa got the nod at quarterback in the second half and slowly worked Alabama back into the game. He finally got Alabama on the board with a touchdown to Henry Ruggs, but the Bulldogs scored again to go back up by 13 at 20-7. 

Alabama trailed by 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but Tagovailoa tied the game up at 20-20 with a touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley. The young quarterback set Alabama up with a chance to win the game in regulation, but Andy Pappanastos hooked the field goal to send the game into overtime. 

The Bulldogs got the ball first in OT, and their kicker Rodrigo Blankenship calmly nailed a 51-yard field goal to put Georgia up 23-20. Alabama needed at least a field goal to keep the game going, or a touchdown to win the national championship. 

Tagovailoa showed his inexperience by taking a sack on first down to set Alabama up well behind the chains. Saban's frustration was visible on the sidelines. But the setback was ultimately setting up the comeback. On second-and-26, Tagovailoa connected with fellow freshman DeVonta Smtih streaking down the sidelines, and the rest is history. Alabama won 26-23 in overtime on the walk-off touchdown to claim Saban's fifth of six national titles with the Crimson Tide. 

See also:

Top 10 Wins of the Nick Saban Era