Coaches No. 2 1974 record 11–1 (6–0 SEC) | AP No. 5 Captain Sylvester Croom | |
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Conference Southeastern Conference Head coach Bear Bryant (17th year) | ||
The 1974 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 80th overall and 41st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 17th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall, 6–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
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As they entered the 1974 season, the Crimson Tide were one of the favorites to compete for the national championship. In their first game of the season, Alabama narrowly escaped with a win at Maryland in what was Bryant's first visit to College Park since he resigned as the Terrapins' head coach after their 1945 season. They followed with victories over Southern Miss, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss before they played in their closest game of the season against Florida State. Although the Crimson Tide entered their contest against the Seminoles as a heavy favorite, they trailed for nearly the entire game until Bucky Berrey connected on the game-winning field goal from 36-yards out with only 0:33 left in the game.
In their next game, Alabama defeated rival Tennessee. After the Vols scored on a second quarter touchdown run, the Crimson Tide defense did not surrender another for 17 consecutive quarters against TCU, Mississippi State, LSU and Miami. Alabama then closed the season with an Iron Bowl victory over Auburn, but then failed to capture the national championship after they lost to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
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NFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1974 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) in the 1975, 1976 and 1977 drafts. These players included: