For the first time since 1902, the Texas Longhorns will make the trip from Austin, Texas, to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the next chapter in a college football classic of two historical powerhouse programs.
“We’re going to get everybody’s best shot, and Alabama is no different,” Texas head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said.
The history
In the matchup’s history, the Longhorns best the Crimson Tide, leading the record with seven wins over Alabama’s two. The largest margin of victory belongs to Texas when the Longhorns shut out the Crimson Tide 20-0 in Austin way back in 1915.
The Texas and Alabama rivalry had been one-sided for 108 years before Alabama got its first victory. Currently, the Crimson Tide has a two-game win streak to defend and a 21-game unbeaten streak while home at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Saban era begins in Tuscaloosa
Alabama vs. Texas isn’t just written in the history books in regular-season wins; the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns have met in six bowl games, with the Crimson Tide winning one. The 2010 Crimson Tide defeated Texas in the BCS National Championship game, marking the beginning of the Saban era of success in Tuscaloosa.
With a team of stars driven by Julio Jones, Mark Ingram II and Trent Richardson, Alabama rolled to victory, beating Texas for the first time in program history after five straight bowl game losses with a score of 37-21.
The victory over Texas revolutionized the Alabama football program and brought them to the next level of college football. Following the 2010 championship, Saban would lead Alabama to five more national championships at the helm of the Crimson Tide.
The present
In the last season’s matchup, the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. In a back-and-forth matchup, and on the back of junior quarterback Bryce Young, the Crimson Tide stormed down the field and won the game by a nail-biting score of 20-19.
“The one good thing you have to say about our team is they showed tremendous resiliency today to do the things they needed to do late in the third quarter, fourth quarter, to come back and win the game after not really playing Alabama football for the first three quarters of the game,” head coach Nick Saban said after the victory.
Young threw for an impressive 213 yards, going 27-for-39 on the afternoon with one touchdown. Running back Jase McClellan smashed home a touchdown on the ground in his 97 yards, averaging 16.2 yards per carry on the day. Kicker Will Reichard brought home the victory for the Crimson Tide after his offense set him up for a game-winning field goal from 52 yards out.
“Will has done a phenomenal job for us. One of the most consistent performers on our team,” Saban said.
The matchup
Led by one of the best quarterbacks of his class and one of the highest-rated recruits ever, Quinn Ewers, Texas is ready to run it back against the Crimson Tide after its defeat by 1 point last season. However, the Longhorns won’t have home field advantage this time around.
“We’re just going to play another road game,” Texas Longhorn special teams coordinator Jeff Banks said. “Just as hard in Kansas and Iowa State as it is going to be in Tuscaloosa. It’s just bigger and more people.”
Dating back 121 years, this Alabama-Texas rivalry will be one of the biggest games in the history of Bryant-Denny Stadium. The newest chapter in the rivalry commences on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
