| 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football | |
|---|---|
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SEC Western Division co-champion | |
Sugar Bowl, L 31–45 vs. Oklahoma | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Western Division | |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 8 |
| AP | No. 7 |
| Record | 11–2 (7–1 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Doug Nussmeier (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style, multiple, two-back |
| Defensive coordinator | Kirby Smart (7th season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| MVP | C. J. Mosley |
| Captain | A. J. McCarron C. J. Mosley Kevin Norwood |
| Home stadium | Bryant–Denny Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Missouri x | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 South Carolina | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Vanderbilt | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Auburn xy$ | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Alabama x% | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 LSU * | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Texas A&M | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss * | 3 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 0 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Auburn 59, Missouri 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 119th overall season, 80th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 22nd within the SEC Western Division. The team was led by head coach Nick Saban, in his seventh year, and played its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of eleven wins and two losses (11–2 overall, 7–1 in the SEC) and with a loss in the 2014 Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma.
After they captured the 2012 national championship, the Crimson Tide signed a highly rated recruiting class in February 2013 and completed spring practice the following April. With thirteen returning starters from the previous season, Alabama entered the 2013 season as the two-time defending national champions, ranked as the number one team in the nation and as a favorite to win the Western Division, the SEC and national championships. They were attempting to become the first FBS-equivalent team to three-peat as national champions since Minnesota in 1936. The Crimson Tide opened the season with eleven consecutive victories that included one over Virginia Tech at a neutral site, against Texas A&M in a game that saw many team records broken and an emotional victory over LSU at Bryant–Denny Stadium. In their twelfth game, Alabama was upset by Auburn. The loss, in a game known since as "Kick Six," kept the Crimson Tide out of the SEC Championship Game. Although they did not qualify to play for their third consecutive national championship with a final BCS ranking of third, Alabama did accept an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl. Against Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide lost 45–31 despite being 17½ point favorites.
At the conclusion of the season, Alabama's defense was nationally ranked near the top in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and ranked passing defense. Offensively, the Alabama offense ranked 17th in scoring offense, 24th in rushing offense, 33rd in total offense and 49th in passing offense. Additionally, several players were recognized for their individual accomplishments on the field. C. J. Mosley won the Butkus Award as the top collegiate linebacker; A. J. McCarron won both the Maxwell Award as the overall player of the year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the top senior quarterback. Also, four players were named to various All-America Teams with C. J. Mosley being a unanimous selection and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Cyrus Kouandjio being consensus selections.