As we reach the second round of our bracket, the matchups get even tougher for the eight teams remaining. In this matchup, we pit a pair of title teams from Tuscaloosa agaisnt each other as the 20009 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0, National Champions) square off with the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, National Champions). Here's the tale of the tape:
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide: Arguably Saban's best team at Alabama was also his first National Championship winning squad back in 2009. Led by Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram, RB Trent Richardson, QB Greg McElroy, and WR Julio Jones, the Crimson Tide's offense averaged 32.1 points per game and grinded teams down over the course of the game with their physicality. The defense was tremendous in 2009, allowing just 11.7 points per game, behind a ton of future NFL draft picks. LB Rolando McClain, S Mark Barron, S Javier Arenas, DT Marcell Dareus, and DT Terrence Cody all starred on that defensive unit that suffocated teams, especially in the run game allowing just 78.1 yards per game on the ground.
2011 Alabama Crimson Tide: The second of three title winning teams for Nick Saban at Alabama — his third overall — went 12-1 behind arguably the best defense of any of these teams in the bracket. Alabama allowed just 8.6 points per game in 2011, including a shutout of LSU in the title game — LSU was also their lone loss that year. LB Dont'a Hightower, S Mark Barron, LB Courtney Upshaw, and CB Dee Milliner were the leaders of that tremendous defense and all of them — and others from that team — ended up in the NFL. The offense wasn't too shabby either, with RBs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy and QB A.J. McCarron the Tide averaged 34. 8 points per game.
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