Division Western Division AP No. 8 | Coaches No. 8 Head coach Mike Shula (3rd year) | |
Conference Southeastern Conference 2005 record 0–2*, 10 wins vacated (0–2 SEC, 6 wins vacated) | ||
The 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's 73rd season in the SEC. The 2005 squad collected a record of 10-2. Coach Mike Shula who was entericoach. The team started off the season at 9–0, which included wins over Florida and Tennessee. However, the team lost their two final regular season games against LSU and Auburn. The team received a bid to the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas Tech. They defeated the Red Raiders on a last second field goal by Jamie Christensen.
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The season was also marked by a notable catch by wide receiver Tyrone Prothro, known to Alabama fans as The Catch. The receiver's career was ended later that season as he suffered a broken leg against Florida. Prothro's catch would win ESPN's Game Changing Performance for week two, and later the ESPY Award for Best Play in all of sports for 2005.
Schedule
Source: Rolltide.com All-time Football Results: 2005 SeasonAwards
Following the SEC Championship Game, the conference named its award winners. DeMeco Ryans was named by the coaches' as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Kenneth Darby, Roman Harper and Ryans were named to the Coaches' All-SEC First Team. Mark Anderson, Tyrone Prothro and Freddie Roach were named to the Coaches' All-SEC Second Team. Antoine Caldwell, B. J. Stabler, Nick Walker and Bobby Greenwood were named to the 2005 Freshman All-SEC Team. In addition to his conference awards, Ryans was also named to the 2005 College Football All-America Team by AFCA and the Associated Press. He also won the Lott Trophy for 2005 season.
NCAA sanctions
In October 2007, the athletic department discovered a potential NCAA-violation present throughout the athletics program. The violations stemmed from athletes from several sports, including football, receiving improper benefits as a result of a failure in the distribution system of textbooks to student athletes from the university. In essence, student athletes received textbooks for classes that they were not taking. Although it was not admitted that any excess textbooks amounted to an improper payment, it was possible that some athletes signed up for classes, received free textbooks, and then sold the textbooks. After a prolonged investigation, in June 2009 the NCAA ruled all athletes that received improper benefits related to the textbook distribution system were deemed ineligible. As such, as part of the penalties imposed on the football program, all victories which those included in the inquiry participated, were officially vacated from the all-time record. The penalty to vacate victories does not result in a loss (or forfeiture) of the affected contests or award a victory to the opponent. As such, all ten victories from the 2005 season (Middle Tennessee, Southern Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Utah State, Mississippi State and Texas Tech) were vacated making the official record for the season zero wins and two losses (0–2).