Alabama football’s dynasty has made many marks on the history of the sport. The 2018 team has already broken several school and SEC records, and a handful more could be threatened thanks to a 15th and final game against Clemson.
It may take months after the season ends to finish a full accounting of the damage done to the record books. For now, here are 15 records that have either fallen or could fall during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Clemson. The records come in nearly every phase of the offense and include yards, points and first downs. They include passing records, rushing marks and even kicking records. They are based both on total accumulation and also on average.
Keep an eye out during the national championship game. This is an historic offense, and its story isn’t done yet. Here are the records that have already fallen or could fall:
Most national championships for a coach
Current record: Six, Paul W. “Bear” Bryant
2018 Alabama: Six, Nick Saban
Odds: 70 percent
Nick Saban tied legendary Alabama coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant with his sixth national championship against Georgia in January 2018. He can become the second coach at Alabama to win six championships if the Crimson Tide wins Monday, though he also has his 2003 national championship at LSU to add to his total. Some already consider Saban to be the greatest college football coach of all time. Another ring would only bolster his case.
NCAA single-season scoring record
Current record: 723, Florida State 2014
2018 Alabama: 668
Odds: 1 percent
The Crimson Tide could have had this record already if coach Nick Saban had chosen to keep the starters in later in some of its earlier blowout games. Tua Tagovailoa had all of three pass attempts in the fourth quarter during the regular season. Alabama also could have been closer if it decided to finish its last drive against Oklahoma rather than kneel out the clock in the red zone. But 56 points is a nearly insurmountable task against Clemson, which ranks second nationally by allowing only 12.9 points per game. You have to add up the combined points allowed by the Tigers in the last five games to exceed 56, and only four teams have broken 20 points in a game against them this season. Barring a complete breakdown or an absurd overtime game, this record is out of reach. Alabama can take consolation by owning the SEC’s scoring record and setting a new school scoring record in just 12 games.
NCAA passer efficiency rating
Current record: 198.92, Baker Mayfield 2017
2018 Alabama: 205.19, Tua Tagovailoa
Odds: 60 percent
Mayfield’s record will fall regardless of whether Tagovailoa keeps pace with his performance in the rest of the season. Kyler Murray’s rating of 199.2 is better than Mayfield’s 2017 season, and Murray’s season is complete. Tagovailoa held the lead in passer rating for most of the season, then fell behind Murray after the conference championships. He regained the top spot in the Orange Bowl and can set a new NCAA mark if his rating in the national championship game remains about 190 or better, as it has in 11 of 14 games this season. It’s not a sure thing, though. Clemson’s opponents have averaged only a 108.6 passer rating on the season.
SEC single-season offensive yards
Old record: 7,261, Texas A&M 2012
2018 Alabama: 7,387
Odds: 100 percent (Already achieved)
Alabama passed this mark during the Oklahoma game. The Aggies did this in only 13 games, meaning Alabama’s per game average is well below the mark needed to hold that record, but this is impressive no matter which way you look at it. Alabama has exceeded 500 yards in 12 of its first 14 games and surpassed 600 yards in two of those. The old school record for yards in a single season was 6,829, set in 2016. Alabama will also break the school record for yards per game (484.4 set in 2014). The Crimson Tide is averaging 527.6 yards per game this season and would break the record even if it didn’t gain a single yard against Clemson.
Most touchdowns by an SEC team
Old record: 82, Florida 2008
2018 Alabama: 90
Odds: 100 percent (Already achieved)
Everything on top of this record is just gravy at this point. The NCAA record for most touchdowns in a season was 99, set by Oklahoma in 2008. It’s just not feasible for Alabama to score nine or 10 touchdowns against Clemson, but this is a record that should stand among SEC programs for some time. The next closest this season was Georgia’s 65 touchdowns.
First modern-era FBS team to win 15 games
Current record: 14 games, several
2018 Alabama: 14-0
Odds: 70 percent
Either Alabama or Clemson will be the first to claim this record. Only two FBS teams had played 15 games in a season before the College Football Playoff began: 1986 BYU (14-1) and 2003 Kansas State (11-4). The first four years have produced a one-loss champion every season, but two undefeated teams in the title game will end that. The money line in Vegas has Alabama as a -235 favorite, which works out to about a 70 percent predicted probability of winning the game. Deep in the annals of history, Penn went 15-0 in 1897 and Yale went 16-0 in 1894.
Winningest senior class in FBS history
Old record: 53-5, Alabama’s 2017 seniors
2018 Alabama: 55-3
Odds: 100 percent (Already achieved)
Alabama’s four-year seniors are the winningest class in FBS history already, and that won’t change based on the outcome of the game. But they can push the record to 56-3 with a win. Be warned, Clemson can go 55-4 if it beats Alabama, tying the four-year record. A perfect four consecutive years would be 60-0, but doing much better than 56-3 would be a difficult task for any program. If Alabama wins against Clemson, the 2019 seniors would have to go 15-0 again to total 57 wins.
SEC most yards per play
Current record: 7.4, Florida 1995
2018 Alabama: 7.9
Odds: 95 percent
This record should fall barring a total collapse of the Alabama offense. The current record, set by Steve Spurrier’s “Fun n Gun” Florida team, has held firm for 23 years even as offenses have evolved significantly in that time, but could be smashed by Alabama. The school record of 7.15 yards per play, set in 2013, is even further behind.
SEC single-season passing touchdowns
Current record: 44, Drew Lock 2017
2018 Alabama: 41, Tua Tagovailoa
Odds: 40 percent
Tagovailoa has thrown for three or more touchdown passes in eight of 14 games this season, though his biggest performances didn’t come against defenses as good as Clemson’s. On the other hand, his statistics have been superlative in games in which he plays all four quarters, which will likely happen on Monday night. Throwing three touchdowns in a game is an excellent day of work for any quarterback, and four touchdowns in a national championship game would be a legendary performance. Tagovailoa has the stuff to be an all-time great. This is an opportunity to prove it.
SEC yards per catch, minimum 50 catches
Current record: 20.5, Eric Martin LSU 1983
2018 Alabama: Multiple
Odds: 25 percent
This record could be threatened by Jerry Jeudy or by Jaylen Waddle. Jeudy averages 18.67 yards per reception on 63 catches. Waddle averages 19.14 yards on 43 catches, meaning he needs seven catches and a bundle of yards to qualify for this record. The Alabama school record is well within reach for Jeudy, though. Keith Brown holds the record of 17 yards per reception, when he had 62 grabs for 1,056 yards in 2006.
SEC most PATs attempted
Current record: 79, Johnathan Phillips, Florida 2008
2018 Alabama: 79, Joseph Bulovas
Odds: 98 percent
This is a byproduct of the stellar offense that has led Alabama all year. Don’t forget, though: Austin Jones had the first 11 PATs of the season, making eight. This record would already be in the bag if not for that. In any event, it’s almost assured Alabama will score a touchdown and call on Bulovas at some point in the game. Just an attempt is needed to break this record. The team record for most PATs in a season is 82 in the SEC, and Alabama has already broken that record.
SEC single-season first downs
Current record: 357, Texas A&M 2012
2018 Alabama: 348
Odds: 90 percent
The school record of 340 first downs in a season, set in 2014, fell against Oklahoma. The Alabama offense has had no trouble moving the chains this year. It probably could have posted even loftier numbers, but so many big plays and quick scoring drives by the offense ate up field position and limited the amount of first downs to be gained. After all, a 50-yard pass only gains one first down, while five separate 10-yard passes would gain five.
SEC single-season passing yards
Current record: 4,593, Texas A&M 2013
2018 Alabama: 4,559
Odds: 99 percent
It will only take 34 yards to break this record. Alabama has broken the school record for passing yards in a season (3,890 in 2014) and Tua Tagovailoa (3,671 yards) has also broken Blake Sims’ individual record for passing yards in a season (3,487), but Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones have contributed almost 900 passing yards to the team total. The run game has been excellent this year but it’s the passing attack that has been historic for Alabama. They’ve also broken SEC records for passer rating and touchdown passes as a team. Alabama holds the NCAA record with 13.4 yards per attempt, set in 1973. Otherwise, this year’s average of 11.3 would set a new SEC and school record.
Alabama single-season completion percentage
Current record: 70.9, Greg McElroy 2010
2018 Alabama: 69.5 percent, Tua Tagovailoa
Odds: 5 percent
Tagovailoa’s season currently ranks sixth in SEC history. Tim Couch’s record of 72.3 percent from 1998 is too far away. To break McElroy’s mark, Tagovailoa would have to go 26 of 30, or some similar ratio. He had that kind of performance against Oklahoma and has other near-perfect performances, but never against a defense as good as Clemson’s. McElroy will probably still own this record when the game ends.
SEC points per game
Current record: 46.6, Florida 1996
2018 Alabama: 47.7
Odds: 60 percent
Alabama will break the SEC’s scoring record if it hangs 31 in the national championship game. The school record of 43 points per game, set all the way back in 1945, is already assured of falling. Alabama could be shut out in the national championship game and it would still average 44.5 points this season. The offense threatened to break this record multiple times in recent seasons during the early months, but always fell off as competition ramped up in November, December and January. Now the record has finally fallen.
Alabama career yards per carry (minimum 400 carries)
Old record: 6.3, Bobby Marlow (1950-52)
2018 Alabama: 6.5, Damien Harris (2015-18)
Odds: 100 percent
Harris’ average has actually fallen to 5.9 yards per carry this season, but he has accumulated enough yardage along the way that he’ll break the record even if he has 14 total carries for zero yards. Among players with 200 carries or fewer, Wilbur Jackson holds the record with a 7.2 yard-per-carry average, and Eddie Lacy averaged 6.8 on 355 carries. Harris should watch his back, though: Najee Harris is averaging 6.5 yards per carry to start his career, though his 169 career carries is well short of the threshold to break this record.
Alabama most receiving yards by a tight end
Old record: 622, Lamonde Russell 1989
2018 Alabama: 667, Irv Smith Jr.
Odds: 100 percent (Already achieved)
Smith has seven touchdowns on the season as well, most in school history for a tight end. Alabama’s wide receivers have been an important part of the offensive development this season, but Smith may be the most pleasant surprise of 2018. He had 14 catches for 128 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore, starting the season behind Miller Forristall on the depth chart. Now he’s a threat in the middle of the field, split out wide, and especially in the red zone.
