Alabama football has spent a lot of time as the No. 1 team in college football. But, as a meeting with No. 1 Georgia on Saturday approaches, the Crimson Tide has also been known as a spoiler for opposing No. 1-ranked teams.

Since 1990, Alabama has won nine of 12 meetings against teams ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. The Crimson Tide's most recent win against a top-ranked team was in the 2023 SEC Championship against No. 1 Georgia.

The Crimson Tide's most recent regular-season upset of a top-ranked opponent was a 25-20 home win against Mississippi State on Nov. 15, 2014. Alabama also lost to No. 1 LSU at home in 2011, and to No. 1 Oklahoma at home in 2003.

Nine of Alabama's 12 meetings with a No. 1 opponent came in an SEC Championship, a BCS National Championship game or a College Football Playoff game. Alabama was ranked No. 4 or better in all but two of those games: the 2023 SEC Championship as the No. 8 team in the country, and the 2003 loss to the Sooners where the Crimson Tide was unranked.

Before 1990, the Crimson Tide had two wins against teams ranked first in the Associated Press, beating Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl en route to a national championship, and beating USC in Los Angeles in 1977.

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Alabama also lost to No. 1 Nebraska in the 1972 Orange Bowl and to Auburn to end the 1957 season.

Alabama football record facing No. 1 teams

According to Sports Reference, here are the games where Alabama faced a team ranked No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll

• Jan. 1, 2024: No. 1 Michigan 27, No. 4 Alabama 20

• Dec. 2, 2023: No. 8 Alabama 27, No. 1 Georgia 24

• Dec. 4, 2021: No. 2 Alabama 41, No. 1 Georgia 24

• Jan. 1, 2018: No. 4 Alabama 24, No. 1 Clemson 6

• Jan. 11, 2016: No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40

• Nov. 15, 2014: No. 3 Alabama 25, No. 1 Mississippi State 20

• Jan. 7, 2013: No. 2 Alabama 42, No. 1 Notre Dame 14

• Jan. 9, 2012: No. 2 Alabama 21, No. 1 LSU 0

• Nov. 5, 2011: No. 1 LSU 9, No. 2 Alabama 6

• Dec. 5, 2009: No. 2 Alabama 32, No. 1 Florida 13

• Sep. 6, 2003: No. 1 Oklahoma 20, Alabama 13

• Jan. 1, 1993: No. 2 Alabama 34, No. 1 Miami 13

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football record against No. 1-ranked teams