The 2007 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide compiled an overall record of 7–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the SEC's Western Division. Alabama was invited to the Independence Bowl, where the Crimson Tide defeated Colorado. The team played home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Despite a strong 6–2 start, Alabama finished the regular season with four straight defeats, including a loss for a sixth-straight year to rival Auburn. In 2009, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) levied sanctions against Alabama, forcing the Crimson Tide to vacate five wins, including three conference victories, from the season.
Schedule The Sagarin computer ratings calculated Alabama's strength of schedule to be the 31st most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams. The Cosgrove Computer Rankings calculated it as the 55th most difficult out of the 119 Division I FBS teams in its rankings. Alabama's 2007 schedule was officially released on July 24, 2006. It featured six pre-season AP Top 25 teams, eight of which made bowl games in 2006.
In accordance with conference rules, Alabama faced all five Western Division opponents: Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. They also faced three Eastern Division opponents: official SEC rival Tennessee, Georgia, and Vanderbilt. Alabama did not play SEC opponents Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. Alabama also played four non-conference games. The non-conference schedule included games against Western Carolina of the Southern Conference, Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Houston of Conference USA and Louisiana–Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference. For the 2007 Independence Bowl, Alabama played Colorado of the Big 12 Conference.
Rankings
Before the season The Crimson Tide completed a 6–6 regular season record. Following their loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, head coach Mike Shula was fired on November 27, after four years. Athletic director Mal Moore announced defensive coordinator Joe Kines as interim head coach for the Independence Bowl, against Oklahoma State, which the Tide lost 34–31, finishing with a 6–7 record.
Returning starters Eighteen starters returned from the previous season, including nine on offense, five on defense, and four on special teams.2007 University of Alabama Football Recruiting and Media Guide, p. 6 The most notable departures were Kenneth Darby and Le'Ron McClain on offense, and Dominic Lee, Jeremy Clark, Juwan Simpson, Terrence Jones, Jeffrey Dukes, and Ramzee Robinson on defense.
The Crimson Tide offense returned all three quarterbacks, including starter John Parker Wilson. The entire starting offensive line returned, anchored by freshman All-American Andre Smith, along with reinforcements by the top four tight ends from the 2006 depth chart. Alabama's receiving unit was led by D. J. Hall, who broke nearly every Alabama-receiving record in school history in 2006. The Alabama defense returned five starters in 2007, based on the 3–3–5 scheme that was run in 2006. The Tide had a new starting nose tackle, outside linebacker, strongside linebacker, cornerback, and a starting safety.
Offense Player Class Position John Parker Wilson Junior Quarterback Keith Brown Senior Wide receiver D. J. Hall Senior Wide receiver Travis McCall Senior Tight end Andre Smith Sophomore Offensive tackle Chris Capps Senior Offensive tackle Justin Britt Senior Offensive guard B. J. Stabler Junior Offensive guard Antoine Caldwell Junior Center
Defense Player Class Position Keith Saunders Senior Defensive end Wallace Gilberry Senior Defensive end Jay Callahan Jr Sophomore Linebacker Simeon Castille Senior Cornerback Marcus Carter Senior Safety
Special teams Player Class Position P. J. Fitzgerald Sophomore Punter Jamie Christensen Senior Placekicker Leigh Tiffin Sophomore Placekicker Javier Arenas Sophomore Return specialistBrian SelmanSophomoreLong snapper
Game summaries Western Carolina
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The Nick Saban era commenced before a sold-out, home crowd of 92,138 by defeating the Western Carolina Catamounts 52–6 for both Nick Saban's first regular season game and victory as Alabama's head coach. Redshirt freshman running back Terry Grant scored the first touchdown of the season, on the first offensive play of the game, with a 47-yard touchdown run. Grant then scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run to give Alabama a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. After a successful, 34-yard Jonathon Parsons field goal by the Catamounts, Grant scored his third touchdown of the evening on a 21-yard run. Leigh Tiffin then hit a 21-yard field goal to give Alabama a 24–3 halftime lead.
Bama continued the scoring in the third quarter with another pair of touchdowns. The first came on a one-yard Glen Coffee run and the second on a one-yard touchdown pass from Greg McElroy to Nick Walker. After a second Parsons field goal for Western Carolina, Alabama scored touchdowns on a one-yard Jimmy Johns run and a 25-yard Roy Upchurch run to make the final score 52–6. For his 134-yard, three touchdown performance, Terry Grant was named the SEC Freshman of the Week.
Vanderbilt
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For the 19th consecutive time, stretching back to the 1984 season, Alabama defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores to open conference play. In this contest, the Crimson Tide were victorious before a sold-out crowd of 39,773 at Vanderbilt Stadium 24–10 for Nick Saban's first conference victory as Alabama's head coach. After Javier Arenas returned the first punt of the game 69-yards to the one-yard line, for the second week in a row Terry Grant scored a touchdown on Alabama's first offensive play with his one-yard run. Leigh Tiffin hit a 20-yard field goal later in the quarter as did the Commodores' Bryant Hahnfeldt from 33 yards to make the score 10–3 at the end of the first. A pair of Tiffin field goals from 40 and 29 yards extended Bama's lead to 16–3 at the half.
After being held scoreless in the third quarter, Grant scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a two-yard run early in the fourth quarter. With a successful two-point conversion pass from John Parker Wilson to Nick Walker, Alabama extended their lead to 24–3. Vanderbilt did score a late touchdown on a 15-yard Adams Mackenzi pass to George Smith to make the finals score 24–10. For his 173-yard, two touchdown performance, and for the second consecutive week, Terry Grant was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Commodores to 58–19–4 (61–18–4 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Arkansas
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In what was considered their first true test of the season, Alabama built an early 21-point lead but had to mount a come-from-behind drive in the final two minutes of the game in order to capture a 41–38 victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Bama took a 21–0 lead into the second quarter after a pair of D. J. Hall touchdown receptions of nine and 35 yards from John Parker Wilson and a 14-yard Glen Coffee run. The Razorbacks closed the gap to 21–10 at the half after Casey Dick threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Crosby Tuck and Alex Tejada converted a 22-yard field goal.
Alabama extended their lead to 31–10 in the third quarter after a 24-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal and a two-yard Wilson touchdown pass to Nick Walker. From this point, Arkansas scored four touchdowns to take a 38–31 lead late into the fourth quarter. Dick hit Andrew Davie for a two-yard touchdown reception late in the third. In the fourth Darren McFadden scored on runs of one and five yards on consecutive drives, and Peyton Hillis had a seven-yard touchdown reception to give the Razorbacks a 38–31 lead with 8:08 remaining in the game. Tiffin converted a 42-yard field goal and with 4:20 remaining in the game and then with only 0:08 remaining Wilson hit Matt Caddell for a four-yard, game-winning touchdown reception.
With his 172 yards receiving, D. J. Hall set a new Crimson Tide record for career receiving yardage previously held by Ozzie Newsome with 2,070 yards. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks to 8–8 (11–7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).
Georgia
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A week after upsetting Arkansas and entering both the AP and Coaches' Polls, Alabama was defeated in overtime by the Georgia Bulldogs 26–23. The Crimson Tide found themselves trailing 7–0 early in the first quarter after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Thomas Brown. Brandon Coutu and Leigh Tiffin each added a field goal in the second quarter for their respective teams to give the Bulldogs a lead 10–3 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Alabama's John Parker Wilson scrambled for a one-yard touchdown run, but the Bulldogs immediately answered on their next drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown from Knowshon Moreno. Coutu connected on a 47-yard field goal, as the Bulldogs extended their lead in the fourth quarter to 20–10. Alabama responded with 22-yard Tiffin field goal and a second rushing touchdown from Wilson, to force overtime. On their first possession of overtime, Alabama failed to move the football and Leigh Tiffin connected on a 42-yard field goal. As for Georgia, Stafford connected on a 25-yard pass to Mikey Henderson, on their first offensive play in overtime, and the Bulldogs left Tuscaloosa 26–23 overtime winners. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 35–25–4.
This would be the last time Alabama lost to Georgia until the 2022 national championship game.
Florida State
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In what was Alabama's first regular season game played at a neutral site since the Kickoff Classic in 1986, Alabama was defeated in the inaugural River City Showdown at Jacksonville, Florida by the Florida State Seminoles 21–14. After a scoreless first half, the Seminoles got on the board first in the third quarter. Florida State scored on their first play of the second half when Xavier Lee connected with De'Cody Fagg for a seven-yard touchdown reception. The Seminoles extended their lead to 14–0 early in the fourth quarter on a five-yard Antone Smith touchdown run.
Alabama scored their first points of the evening late in the fourth quarter when John Parker Wilson threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to D. J. Hall to cut the Florida State lead to 14–7. On the Seminoles' next offensive possession when Lee threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Fagg and extended their lead to 21–7. The Crimson Tide then cut the lead after Wilson hit Keith Brown for a 17-yard touchdown reception. However, Alabama was unable to recover the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and lost by the final score of 21–14.
The 85,412 fans at the game set the attendance record for Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, exceeding numbers of Super Bowl XXXIX or any of the annual Florida–Georgia rivalry games. It was the first time the teams had met since 1974, and it was the first meeting since Birmingham, Alabama native Bobby Bowden took over as head coach of the Seminoles. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Seminoles to 2–1–1.
Houston
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