Coaches No. 1 1964 record 10–1 (8–0 SEC) Captain Joe Namath | AP No. 1 Head coach Bear Bryant (7th year) | |
Conference Southeastern Conference | ||
The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1964 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 70th overall and 31st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished season with ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 8–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss to Texas in the Orange Bowl. As the major wire services at that time awarded their national champions prior to the start of bowl season, Alabama was also recognized as national champions by the AP and UPI before their loss to Texas. After the bowl games, the Football Writers Association of America as stated in 1964 college football season named the undefeated Arkansas Razorbacks as the national champions. The Razorbacks defeated Texas during the regular season.
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The Crimson Tide opened the season ranked in the No. 6 position with wins at Tuscaloosa against Georgia, against Tulane in Mobile and at Birmingham against Vanderbilt. After a victory over NC State in their first non-conference game of the season, Alabama defeated Tennessee in their first road game of the season at Neyland Stadium. The Crimson Tide then returned to Tuscaloosa where they defeated a Steve Spurrier-led Florida team on homecoming before their second road victory at Mississippi State at Jackson.
Alabama then defeated LSU in a newly expanded Legion Field and captured the SEC championship, and the next week defeated Georgia Tech in what was the final game of their annual series. In the annual Iron Bowl against Auburn, the Crimson Tide completed an undefeated regular season with their victory and accepted a bid to play Texas in the Orange Bowl. Although recognized as national champions at the conclusion of the regular season, Alabama closed the season with a loss to the Texas Longhorns in the Orange Bowl.
After the season, Joe Namath was selected as the first overall pick by the New York Jets in the 1965 AFL Draft. In addition to Namath, eleven other lettermen from the 1964 squad were drafted into the National Football League.
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National championship claim
The NCAA recognizes consensus national champions as the teams that have captured a championship by way of one of the major polls since the 1950 college football season. After No. 1 Notre Dame was upset by USC in their final game of the season, it was speculated that Alabama would move into the top position in the polls and claim the 1964 national championship. As such, the Crimson Tide were voted into the No. 1 position in both the final AP and UPI polls and captured the national championship. On November 30, the final UPI poll was released with Alabama in the No. 1 position having claimed 33 first place votes and 333 total points in the poll ahead of No. 2 Arkansas. On December 1, the final AP poll was released with Alabama in the No. 1 position having claimed 34.5 first place votes ahead of the 11.5 first place votes awarded to No. 2 Arkansas.
Although officially recognized as national champions at the conclusion of the regular season, Alabama went on to lose against Texas in the Orange Bowl. Due to this and the increasing number of top ranked teams participating in bowl games, 1964 was one of the final years the AP released its final poll before the completion of bowl season. The AP would permanently switch to a final poll conducted after the bowl games starting with the 1968 season. Arkansas (the only major team that finished the season undefeated), Notre Dame, and Michigan were also recognized as national champions by various other selectors for the 1964 season.
NFL/AFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1964 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) between the 1965 and 1967 drafts. These players included the following:
Freshman squad
Prior to the 1972 college football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. For the 1964 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of two wins and two losses (2–2). Alabama opened the season with a 14–7 loss to Mississippi State in a game that saw the Baby Tide turn the ball over seven times. The Bulldogs took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter on a one-yard Walter Pennebaker touchdown run. Alabama tied the game 7–7 in the third quarter on a 46-yard Ken Stabler touchdown pass to Dennis Homan; however, Stabler threw an interception later in the third to Alton Ellis that he returned 73 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Two weeks later, Alabama won their first game of the season at New Orleans with a 13–6 victory over Tulane. The Baby Tide scored on their first offensive play when Stabler threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Homan in the first quarter. Steve Davis kicked a 26-yard field goal on the next Alabama possession and another from 24 yards out in the third that made the score 13–0 in favor of the Tide. Paul Arnold scored Tulane's only points in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run and made the final score 13–6. In their third game, Alabama was shut out by Ole Miss, 14–0, at Hemingway Stadium. In the game, Rebel touchdowns were scored on a pair of Carr Walker touchdown passes. The first came in the opening period to Milie Haile and the second on a 59-yard pass to Carl Pope in the third quarter.
The next week, Alabama closed the season with a 17–0 victory over rival Auburn at Denny Stadium. The Baby Tide took a 14–0 first quarter lead on a 70-yard Homan punt return and on a one-yard Phil Schaeffer touchdown run that capped a 71-yard drive. Steve Davis provided for the final points of the game late in the fourth quarter n a 21-yard field goal that made the final score 21–0.