Alabama football will never be without its share of critics and detractors, no matter who roams the sidelines at Bryant-Denny Stadium — or previously Birmingham’s Legion Field.
That was especially true during Nick Saban’s illustrious tenure as Crimson Tide head coach. Between 2009 and 2020, Saban produced six national championships in his 17 full seasons in Tuscaloosa.
In the grand scheme of things, though, there’s one team CBS Sports believes best embodies the spirit of hate Alabama received under Saban better than any other. That would be the Crimson Tide’s 2011 squad.
Alabama and LSU were indisputably the best two teams in college football that year. Oklahoma State was a distant third behind the two SEC behemoths, who met in their annual regular-season showdown in early November 2011: the “Game of the Century” at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. LSU won, 9-6, in overtime.
And that seemed to be that for Alabama’s national championship hopes.
But then a month of chaos ensued: Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State. Boise State lost to TCU. Oregon lost to USC. Alabama was suddenly propelled back into title contention, and an eventual rematch with LSU for the BCS National Championship Game was set for Jan. 9, 2012, at the Superdome in New Orleans.
From start to finish, Alabama throttled the Tigers behind one of the most suffocating defensive performances in college football history. ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger famously quipped, “This is a mauling, folks, a mauling.”
LSU didn’t reach midfield until the fourth quarter, and while the game might have lacked for offense, Trent Richardson’s 34-yard touchdown run with 4:36 to play put Alabama up 21-0 and secured Saban’s second of six national championships in Tuscaloosa.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford said of why the 2011 Tide was so hated:
“Blame Nick Saban for much of the hate the SEC received for a decade-plus during his illustrious tenure in Tuscaloosa. Universally hated by just about everyone outside of Alabama during his reign, the Crimson Tide won more games from 2010 to 2020 than any program in the country and churned out more first-round picks as well. Saban collected six national titles and countless conference championships over his 17-year reign, but it was Alabama’s rematch opportunity with LSU in the 2011 national title game two months after losing to the Tigers, 9-6, that tossed lighter fluid on the fire aimed at taking computers out of the mix to determine college football’s championship matchup. Alabama’s 21-0 destruction of LSU equaled the third-lowest TV viewership in the 14-year history of the BCS final.”
Who is college football’s all-time most hated team? CBS Sports ranks ‘bad boys’ No. 1
When looking at any Mount Rushmore of most hated college football teams, no Alabama squad has anything on the late 80s Miami Hurricanes. Alabama’s 2011 team was only No. 10 overall on CBS Sports’ list. Jimmy Johnson’s 1986 Miami team was No. 1.
Crawford said of the Hurricanes:
“The birth of “The U” under Jimmy Johnson is when the Hurricanes truly became college football’s bad boys. On a team loaded with future NFL talent, Johnson essentially didn’t believe in suspensions and handled all disciplinary action “in-house” — whatever that meant during a time of little to no NCAA regulation. That included several slap-on-the-wrist penalties for alleged shoplifting and fraud infractions involving his top talent. Miami’s swag wasn’t enough in the national championship game against Penn State after the Hurricanes infamously stepped off the plane in military fatigues. Heisman-winning Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw five interceptions, and the Hurricanes fell, 14-10, for their only loss of the season. Over five seasons with the Hurricanes, Johnson went 52-9 with a national title in 1987 and three top-3 finishes, putting together one of the greatest runs of all-time. The 1986 team, though, was the nastiest group.”
Four SEC programs make CBS Sports’ list of all-time ‘most hated’ college football teams
For the most hated SEC team of all-time in CBS Sports’ rankings, Crawford put Cam Newton-led Auburn at the top of the list and writes:
“These Tigers stand as one of the SEC’s most hated teams ever. In a setting made for reality TV, Cam Newton captivated viewers with his Heisman-level athleticism on the field and his never-ending saga off of it. Kicked out at Florida before starring in the JUCO ranks, Newton landed at Auburn pre-NIL as a transfer and was Gene Chizik’s claim to fame. Much like Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel, Newton was vilified by opposing fans, and many anxiously awaited his moment of failure. But it never came. Newton won the SEC and directed his team to an unblemished national championship season, recording one of the single-most impressive campaigns in the sport’s history. Newton earned 729 first-place Heisman votes, a then record-setting margin, with the next closest player being Andrew Luck (78).”
A breakdown of CBS Sports’ rankings for SEC teams on the list:
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