The times when Alabama could finish no higher than third in the SEC West seems to be such a distant memory. In reality, it wasn’t that long ago. In 2006, the Crimson Tide finished in fourth place in the division with a 2-6 conference record and 6-7 overall. That was when Mal Moore filled up a Winnebago with cash and drove to South Beach intending on not returning to Tuscaloosa without Nick Saban in tow.
Clearly, Saban is the main reason that the Tide has returned to its rightful place in college football. But he had a little help.