This stripped-down college football season, played in subdued stadiums without bands, mascots and much of the pageantry that make the sport so alluring, ended the way many others had before the pandemic — with Alabama as champion.
The Crimson Tide capped this tumultuous season on Monday night with an immaculate offensive performance, eviscerating Ohio State, 52-24, in the College Football Playoff championship in Miami Gardens, Fla.
It was the 13th national championship for Alabama, and the seventh over all for Saban, who won one at Louisiana State before arriving in Tuscaloosa to restore the shine to a program that became a national power under Bear Bryant.