Know Your Opponent: Alabama

This year the Gators' rotating opponent from the SEC West is the Alabama Crimson Tide. The University of Alabama began operation in 1831. It was built in Tuscaloosa, then the capital of Alabama. After being almost entirely destroyed by Union forces during the Civil War, the university was rebuilt and re-opened in 1871. Today, almost 35,000 students are enrolled at Alabama, with over 29,000 being undergraduates. The school colors are crimson and white.

The Gators overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat the Tide on
their way to a national championship in 2006. Both teams
wore old-fashioned uniforms that day..

The Crimson Tide are the most successful college football program in the American South. Few schools can truly rival the accomplishments of the Tide. Alabama began playing in 1892 and became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933. Before 1933, Alabama won four Southern Conference championships. Since joining the SEC, the Tide have won 23 conference championships, 10 more than Tennessee (second among SEC teams). Alabama won the first-ever SEC championship in 1933 and most recently topped the conference in 2012. Even more impressive, Alabama claims 15 national titles, although only 10 are recognized by a consensus sources. The Tide play in one of the country's largest venues, Bryant-Denny Stadium. Bryant-Denny can host just under 102,000 spectators. One of the stadium's namesakes is Paul "Bear" Bryant, the winningest coach in SEC history and Alabama legend.

Alabama's 10 national titles recognized by either the AP or Coaches' polls were won in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, and 2012. Surprisingly, the Tide have produced just one Heisman winner, Mark Ingram in 2009. Of the previously mentioned national champions, four (1961, 1979, 1992, and 2009) went undefeated.

The Gators and the Tide have played a total of 36 games; the first was in 1916. Despite this long history, they have never met on a consistent basis. Of the 13 SEC charter members, Florida has only played Mississippi, Sewanee, and Tulane on less occasions. However, the teams have met on many occasion in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama leads the series with 23* wins to Florida's 14. On the seven occasions the teams have met for the conference championship, the Gators have won four times.

*Excluding the vacated victory in 2005, Alabama has 22 victories over Florida.