enn ▁State ▁ 2 7 – 1 1 ▁in ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁Joe ▁Pat erno ' s ▁final ▁meeting ▁vs . ▁the ▁C rim son ▁T ide ▁( he ▁was ▁fired ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Jerry ▁Sand us ky ▁child ▁sex ▁ab use ▁sc andal , ▁then ▁died ▁January ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 ). ▁After ▁a ▁ 4 1 – 0 ▁shut out ▁over ▁North ▁Texas , ▁Alabama ▁opened ▁conference ▁play ▁with ▁a ▁ 3 8 – 1 4 ▁victory ▁over ▁Ark ansas . ▁After ▁they ▁defeated ▁Florida ▁ 3 8 – 1 0 ▁at ▁G aines ville , ▁the ▁C rim son ▁T ide ▁shut out ▁V ander b ilt ▁ 3 4 – 0 , ▁and ▁defeated ▁both ▁Ole ▁Miss ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁" Game ▁of ▁the ▁Century " ▁against ▁L SU . ▁ ▁Again st ▁the ▁Tig ers , ▁neither ▁team ▁scored ▁a ▁touch down ▁and ▁L SU ▁won ▁by ▁a ▁final ▁score ▁of ▁ 9 – 6 ▁in ▁over time . ▁With ▁the ▁loss , ▁Alabama ▁dropped ▁into ▁the ▁No .   3 ▁B CS ▁position ▁prior ▁to ▁their ▁game ▁against ▁Mississippi ▁State . ▁However , ▁they ▁reg ained ▁the ▁No .   2 ▁ranking ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁pol ls ▁after ▁Oklahoma ▁State ▁was ▁ups et ▁by ▁Iowa ▁State , ▁and ▁they ▁defeated ▁the ▁Bul ld ogs ▁at ▁St ark ville . ▁Alabama ▁then ▁closed ▁the ▁regular ▁season ▁with ▁wins