Daily Dose of Crimson Tide: The 1973 National Title

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Few teams had the kind of promise as the 1973 Crimson Tide, which began the season ranked sixth in the preseason Associated Press poll, and then opened with a crushing win against California, which featured quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back Chuck Muncie, 66-0.

With a roster boasting first-team All-Americans Buddy Brown (tackle), Woodrow Lowe (linebacker), and Wayne Wheeler (split end), along with second-teamers Mike Washington (cornerback), John Croyle (defensive end), and Mike Raines (defensive tackle), Paul W. “Bear” Bryant appeared more than poised to make a run for his fourth national championship.

The wins quickly piled up: 44-0 at Vanderbilt, 28-14 against Georgia, 35-14 at Florida.

Aided by halfback Randy Billingsley’s blocks, Alabama had four players — Jackson, Richard Todd, Calvin Culliver and Jimmy Taylor — each reach 100 yards rushing during a 77-6 victory against Virginia Tech.

Against unbeaten Tennessee, quarterback Gary Rutledge connected with wide receiver Wayne Wheeler for an 80-yard touchdown on the first snap of the game, and Jackson capped the 42-21 victory with an 80-yard touchdown run.

On Thanksgiving, Alabama handled another unbeaten rival, LSU, 21-7.

For an encore, the Tide crushed Auburn, 35-0.

Alabama scored a school-record 477 points and averaged 480.7 yards per game.

At the time, the United Press International coaches’ poll held its final voting at the end of the regular season (although the Associated Press had already switched for good, and since 1969 held its final rankings at the end of the postseason), with Alabama named its national champion.

However, the Crimson Tide had one more game to play, the extremely hyped first meeting with Notre Dame, which would take place at the Sugar Bowl.

The game lived up to the billing, with the lead changing hands six times and featured a wild 90-second span with three turnovers at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The deciding points came with 4:26 left on the clock, when Notre Dame’s Bob Thomas, who had missed two attempts earlier in the game, kicked a 19-yard field goal.

After the Tide offense stalled on the subsequent possession, Greg Gantt’s 69-yard punt gave Notre Dame first down at its own 1-yard line, but Gantt also drew a penalty on the play that would have given Alabama fourth down and 5 yards to go.

Bryant decided to decline the penalty, putting the game into the defense’s hands, only to see Fighting Irish quarterback Tom Clements, who was named game’s most valuable player, complete a key 35-yard third-down pass to tight end Robin Weber to secure the 24-23 victory.

Not surprisingly, Notre Dame was No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll, and soon after the coaches’ poll announced that it too would hold its final voting after all bowl games had been played.

Alabama claims the title as one of its 17. 

Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank / Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank

1973 Crimson Tide

11-1, national champions, SEC champions

Date, Opponent, Location, Outcome

Sept. 15 California Birmingham W 66-0

Sept. 22 Kentucky Lexington W 28-14

Sept. 29 Vanderbilt Nashville W 44-0

Oct. 6 Georgia Tuscaloosa W 28-14

Oct. 13 Florida Gainesville W 35-14

Oct. 20 Tennessee Birmingham W 42-21

Oct. 27 Virginia Tech Tuscaloosa W 77-6

Nov. 3 Mississippi State Jackson W 35-0

Nov. 17 Miami Tuscaloosa W 43-13

Nov. 22 LSU Baton Rouge W 21-7

Dec. 1 Auburn Birmingham W 35-0

Dec. 31 Notre Dame Sugar Bowl L 23-24

Coach: Paul W. “Bear” Bryant 

Total points: 477-113

Captains: Wilbur Jackson, Chuck Strickland

Ranking (AP): Preseason No. 6; Postseason No. 4.

All-American: First team — Buddy Brown, tackle; Woodrow Lowe, linebacker; Wayne Wheeler, split end. Second team — Mike Washington, cornerback; John Croyle, defensive end; Mike Raines, defensive tackle. Academic — Randy Hall, defensive tackle.

All-SEC (first team): Buddy Brown, tackle; Greg Gantt, punter; Wilbur Jackson, halfback; Woodrow Lowe, linebacker; David McMakin, safety; Mike Raines, defensive tackle; Steve Sprayberry, tackle; Mike Washington, cornerback; Wayne Wheeler, split end.

Leaders: Rushing — Wilbur Jackson (752 yards, 95 carries); Passing — Gary Rutledge (33 of 57, 897 yards); Receiving — Wayne Wheeler (19 catches, 530 yards). Woodrow Lowe had a team-record 134 solo tackles.

Some of this post originated from "100 Things Crimson tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," published by Triumph Books