| 1970 Alabama Crimson Tide football | |
|---|---|
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl co-champion | |
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, T 24–24 vs. Oklahoma | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Record | 6–5–1 (3–4 SEC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captains |
|
| Home stadium | Denny Stadium Legion Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 LSU $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Tennessee | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Auburn | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Ole Miss | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1970 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 76th overall and 37th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 13th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with six wins five losses and one tie (6–5–1 overall, 3–4 in the SEC) and with a tie against Oklahoma in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
As a result of a newly enacted rule by the NCAA that allowed teams to schedule an eleventh regular season game, Alabama opened the season against USC. Led by Sam Cunningham, the Trojans defeated the Crimson Tide 42–21 at Legion Field to open the season. Alabama rebounded from the loss and defeated Virginia Tech and Florida in consecutive games that set up a top-twenty match-up against Ole Miss. Led by Archie Manning, the Rebels defeated the Crimson Tide 48–23 after a 22-point fourth quarter at Jackson.
Alabama defeated Vanderbilt in their next game, but then were shut out for the first time since their 1959 season with a 24–0 loss at Tennessee. They again rebounded with a pair of consecutive victories. The first was against Houston, in what was also the first game Alabama played indoors, and the second on homecoming against Mississippi State. After a loss to LSU, the Crimson Tide defeated Miami in their final road game of the season. The win also made Alabama bowl-eligible, and as such an invitation to play Oklahoma in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was accepted in the week leading to the Iron Bowl. Against Auburn, the Crimson tide surrendered a 17-point lead and closed the regular season with a 33–28 loss to their rival. A month later, Alabama ended their season with a 24–24 tie against the Sooners.
The 1970 season is also notable for being the first fully integrated team at Alabama. Although several African American students competed during spring practice in 1967, Wilbur Jackson became the first African American awarded a scholarship to play for Alabama, and he competed as a member of the freshman squad in 1970.[1][2]