Alabama's 24-3 loss at Oklahoma was among the most-stunning in recent program history, for a number of reasons.
The Crimson Tide came into the game ranked No. 8 nationally and in the driver's seat for a spot in both the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. The Sooners entered the night with just one SEC win all year (vs. Auburn) and clinging to hopes for bowl-eligibility.
Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) left Norman out of the running for a trip to Atlanta and barely alive for a CFP spot heading into next week's Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa. Oklahoma, meanwhile, picked up its sixth win of the year with a game to spare (at LSU next Saturday).
Saturday's three-touchdown loss broke some long-standing trends for Alabama. Here are 5, in reverse chronological order:
The last time that had happened was in a 9-6 loss to LSU in Tuscaloosa, in the so-called "Game of the Century." The Crimson Tide went on to win the BCS national championship that season, beating the Tigers 21-0 in the rematch in New Orleans.
Including losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and now Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide must win the Iron Bowl and a bowl game just to get to 10-plus wins for the 17th straight year. Alabama's 2010 team lost to South Carolina, LSU and Auburn during the regular season, but beat Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl to reach double-digit wins.
The Crimson Tide generally played an FCS or Group of 5 school in its Iron Bowl warmup from 2007-23, though that has obviously changed with the SEC's new schedule rotation. Alabama's last loss in the game before it faced Auburn was the infamous 21-14 defeat to Louisiana-Monroe in Nick Saban's first season.
The Crimson Tide hadn't lost three road games in the same season since the final year of the Mike Shula era, when it lost all four of its SEC away games (at Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, LSU). Saban's first Alabama team lost at Mississippi State and at Auburn and against Florida State in Jacksonville, though the latter was a neutral site game. The Crimson Tide's only SEC road win this year was 42-13 at LSU on Nov. 9.
Another Shula-era low point was a 20-3 loss to South Carolina in Tuscaloosa 20 years ago, though that game came two weeks after the Crimson Tide lost starting quarterback Brodie Croyle to a season-ending knee injury. Alabama had scored at least six points in every game since then. (Incidentally, Alabama has not been shut out since a 9-0 loss in the 2000 Iron Bowl.)