Alabama’s Historic Upsets: Defining Moments Against Georgia

Alabama entered the game unranked, facing the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs, the reigning SEC Champions. Georgia was considered one of the conference’s elite teams, and for Coach Bear Bryant, defeating them was crucial to proving that Alabama belonged among the top tier of the Southeastern Conference.

This game also marked a historic moment as the first college football game ever televised by ABC. In front of a nationwide audience, Alabama pulled off a stunning upset, defeating a Georgia team led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton, 21-6. Alabama finished the 1960 season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll and used the momentum from that year to claim the program’s first national championship in two decades in 1961.

**No. 9: October 3, 2015 – Alabama 38, Georgia 10 – Athens, Georgia**

When Alabama entered Sanford Stadium in October 2015, the team had been the betting favorite for 72 consecutive games. However, that streak ended when the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs were favored over the No. 13 Crimson Tide. Doubts about Alabama’s dominance under Coach Nick Saban had begun to surface, as the team had gone two full seasons without a national title and had recently lost to Ole Miss for the second year in a row.

Pundits had written off Alabama after the loss to Ole Miss, but few predicted what would unfold in Athens on a rainy afternoon. After trading field goals through the first quarter and part of the second, Alabama shifted into a gear that Georgia couldn’t match. The Crimson Tide exploded for three touchdowns in the final eight and a half minutes of the second quarter. Derrick Henry ignited the surge with a 30-yard touchdown run, Minkah Fitzpatrick followed with a score off a blocked punt, and Jake Coker connected on a deep pass to Calvin Ridley, giving Alabama a 24-3 lead at halftime and silencing the Georgia crowd.

The second half saw more dominance from Alabama. Eddie Jackson returned an interception for a touchdown, and Coker added another score with a short run, extending the lead to 38-3. Although Nick Chubb broke off a long touchdown run late in the third quarter, it had little impact on the outcome. Alabama convincingly dismantled the Bulldogs, reminding the college football world that the Saban dynasty was far from over.