1968 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1968 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Gator Bowl, L 10–35 vs. Missouri
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 17
Record8–3 (4–2 SEC)
Head coach
Captains
  • Mike Hall
  • Donnie Sutton
Home stadiumDenny Stadium
Legion Field
Ladd Stadium
Seasons
← 1967
1969 →
1968 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 8 Georgia $ 5 0 1 8 1 2
No. 13 Tennessee 4 1 1 8 2 1
No. 17 Alabama 4 2 0 8 3 0
No. 19 LSU 4 2 0 8 3 0
No. 16 Auburn 4 2 0 7 4 0
Florida 3 2 1 6 3 1
Ole Miss 3 2 1 7 3 1
Vanderbilt 1 3 1 5 4 1
Mississippi State 0 4 1 0 8 2
Kentucky 0 7 0 3 7 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1968 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 74th overall and 35th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 11th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished season with eight wins and three losses (8–3 overall, 4–2 in the SEC) and with a loss against Missouri in the Gator Bowl.

Alabama opened the season ranked #7 and won their first two games against Virginia Tech at Birmingham and Southern Miss in their annual Mobile game, which proved to be the last game Alabama would play at Ladd Stadium in Mobile. In their third game, the Crimson Tide were upset by Ole Miss at Jackson, their first loss to the Rebels since the 1910 season. They rebounded the next week with a victory over Vanderbilt but lost the next week to Tennessee after coach Bryant elected to go for the victory instead of a tie and missed a two-point conversion and lost 10–9 at Knoxville.

After their loss to Tennessee, Alabama rebounded and won their final five regular season games. After they defeated Clemson, they returned to Tuscaloosa where they defeated Mississippi State on homecoming. The Crimson Tide next upset LSU in Birmingham, defeated Miami at the Miami Orange Bowl, and Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Later that December, Alabama lost 35–10 to Missouri in the Gator Bowl.