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1973 Alabama

11–⁠1 (8–⁠0 Southeastern Conference), coached by Bear Bryant, finished No. 4 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Alabama in 1973, game by game: won vs. California 66–0; won at Kentucky 28–14; won at Vanderbilt 44–0; won vs. Georgia 28–14; won at Florida 35–14; won vs. No. 10 Tennessee 42–21; won vs. Virginia Tech 77–6; won at Mississippi State 35–0; won vs. Miami 43–13; won at No. 7 LSU 21–7; won vs. Auburn 35–0; lost vs. No. 3 Notre Dame 23–24+71−1Won 66–0 vs. California+66CaliforniaWon 28–14 at Kentucky+14KentuckyWon 44–0 at Vanderbilt+44VanderbiltWon 28–14 vs. Georgia+14GeorgiaWon 35–14 at Florida+21FloridaWon 42–21 vs. No. 10 Tennessee+21No. 10 TennesseeWon 77–6 vs. Virginia Tech+71Virginia TechWon 35–0 at Mississippi State+35Mississippi Sta…Won 43–13 vs. Miami+30MiamiWon 21–7 at No. 7 LSU+14No. 7 LSUWon 35–0 vs. Auburn+35AuburnLost 23–24 vs. No. 3 Notre Dame-1No. 3 Notre Dame
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 15vsCaliforniaW 66–⁠084%
Sep 22atKentuckyW 28–⁠1476%
Sep 29atVanderbiltW 44–⁠082%
Oct 6vsGeorgiaW 28–⁠1472%
Oct 13atFloridaW 35–⁠1472%
Oct 20vs10TennesseeW 42–⁠2161%
Oct 27vsVirginia TechW 77–⁠691%
Nov 3atMississippi StateW 35–⁠076%
Nov 17vsMiamiW 43–⁠1387%
Nov 22at7LSUW 21–⁠749%
Dec 1vsAuburnW 35–⁠076%
Dec 31Bowls & playoffvs3Notre DameSugar BowlL 23–⁠2462%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Notre Dame 24–⁠23 in the Sugar Bowl; No. 4 in the final AP poll; Southeastern Conference champions.

In program history: The 10th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 123 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 6
  2. Wk 2: 6
  3. Wk 3: 4
  4. Wk 4: 5
  5. Wk 5: 3
  6. Wk 6: 3
  7. Wk 7: 2
  8. Wk 8: 2
  9. Wk 9: 2
  10. Wk 10: 2
  11. Wk 11: 2
  12. Wk 12: 2
  13. Wk 13: 1
  14. Wk 14: 1
  15. Final: 4

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1973.

National championsa title the school claims

Southeastern Conference champions8–⁠0 in the conference

Led the nationWilbur Jackson: yards per carry (7.9)

Consensus All-AmericanBuddy Brown, OG

Record
11–⁠1
Conference
8–⁠0 first in Southeastern Conference
AP final
No. 4 peak No. 1
Points
477–⁠113
Coach
Bear Bryant
Elo
1841 +154 this season
SP+ rating
32.6 No. 2 of 123; offense No. 4, defense No. 13
SRS
31.5 No. 4 of 129 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captains
Wilbur Jackson and Chuck Strickland
Offense
Wishbone
Defense
5–⁠2

Drafted in 1974

The 1974 draft
Rd 1Wilbur Jackson RBSan Francisco 49ers
Rd 3Wayne Wheeler WRChicago Bears
Rd 6Mike Raines DTSan Francisco 49ers

All-SEC

9 first team, 4 second team

First team

Second team

  • Gary RutledgeQBAP-2
  • Steve BiscegliaRBAP-2
  • Mike DuBoseDEAP-2
  • Willie ShelbyRSAP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1973 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1973 Southeastern Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Alabama8–⁠011–⁠14
LSU5–⁠19–⁠313
Ole Miss4–⁠36–⁠5
Tennessee3–⁠38–⁠419
Georgia3–⁠47–⁠4–⁠1
Florida3–⁠47–⁠5
Kentucky3–⁠45–⁠6
Auburn2–⁠56–⁠6
Mississippi State2–⁠54–⁠5–⁠2
Vanderbilt1–⁠55–⁠6

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.