▁two ▁und efe ated ▁seasons , ▁and ▁six ▁bow l ▁ber th s . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁C rim son ▁T ide ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dominant ▁teams ▁in ▁college ▁football . ▁During ▁the ▁de cade ▁the ▁program ▁posted ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁ 1 0 3 - 1 6 - 1 , ▁winning ▁eight ▁SE C ▁titles ▁and ▁three ▁national ▁champion ships ▁( 1 9 7 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 ). ▁The ▁very ▁first ▁game ▁of ▁the ▁de cade ▁was ▁notable , ▁as ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁thoroughly ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁US C ▁Tro j ans ▁in ▁B irmingham ▁ 4 2 – 2 1 . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁game ▁that ▁is ▁generally ▁cred ited ▁as ▁the ▁catal yst ▁to ▁end ▁seg reg ation ▁in ▁college ▁football . ▁The ▁following ▁season , ▁John ▁Mitchell , ▁an ▁African - American ▁transfer ▁from ▁Eastern ▁Arizona ▁Junior ▁College , ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁rem atch , ▁a ▁game ▁that ▁Alabama ▁won ▁ 1 7 – 1 0 ▁at ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Memorial ▁Col ise um . ▁In ▁that ▁game , ▁Mitchell ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁player ▁to ▁start ▁for ▁the ▁T ide . ▁Alabama ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁last ▁schools ▁in ▁college ▁football ▁to ▁integrate ▁African - American ▁players . ▁ ▁Bry ant ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁loved ▁by ▁the ▁people ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Alabama ▁and ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁U . S ., ▁but ▁by ▁coach es