It was always Mike DuBose's dream to be head football coach at the University of Alabama. That dream would soon turn to a nightmare. With player depth severely hindered by NCAA sanctions, the chips were stacked against DuBose from the beginning. However, the '97 season still had a core of returing starters like Curtis Alexander, Shaun Alexander, Dennis Riddle, Rod Rutledge, Michael Vaughn, Chad Goss, and Deshea Townsend. Despite an optimistic outlook, the season would soon prove to be a disaster. Bama won their first two games handily. Then Arkansas came to Bryant Denny and edged out a 17-16 win. Bama rebounded, beating Southern Miss but then lost to Kentucky 40-34 in Bama's first overtime game in history. Tennessee thrased the Tide but a glimmer of a salvagable season came the next week against Ole Miss with a 29-20 victory. That was until homecoming when underdog Lousiana Tech shocked the Tide, 26-20. LSU humilated Bama 27-0 in Tuscaloosa that was followed by another loss to Mississippi State. The wounds of a miserable season could be somewhat subsided by a victory over Auburn. However, the Tigers put Bama out of misery with a 18-17 heartbreaker, capping a 4-7 season. This was the worst record posted by the Crimson Tide since Ears Whitworth's 1957 team.
The 1998 season opened with the anticipation of a newly expanded and renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium. The new stadium now held close to 84,000 and was highlighted by a new upper deck, skyboxes, and jumbotron TV. Also, more games were to be played on campus as opposed to Birmingham's Legion Field.
Fans were treated to an exciting home with a 38-31 win over BYU. Shaun Alexander scored five touchdowns and was named SEC Player of the Week. Bama then beat up on Vandy, 32-7 and again, Alexander was named SEC Player of the Week. Things were looking like they were going to turn around until the Tide traveled to Arkansas and was trounced 42-6. The defeat was the worst game Bama had played in more than 40 years. The next week, Bama had Florida at home in Tuscaloosa. While Bama lost 16-10, freshman Andrew Zow emerged as the new starting quarterback, giving an impressive performance despite the loss. The next week was a memorable homecoming victory against Ole Miss. At the end of regulation, the teams were locked in a 17-17 tie. Shaun Alexander set Bama up for a 22 yard field goal by Ryan Pflugner for the overtime win, the first in the Tide's history. Alabama squeaked by East Carolina the following week 23-22, blowing a 21-0 halftime lead, and winning only by a two-point blocked kick score by Kecalf Bailey.
Bama then traveled to Knoxville to meet the future national champs, Tennessee Volunteers, and fell 35-18. The season was starting to look like a bust again! Bama won the next two games agianst Southern Miss and a 22-16 miracle performance against LSU. The Tide went into the 4th quarter trailing 16-7. Andrew Zow threw for two touchdowns to win it for Bama after a perfect onsides kick which Bama recovered. Two touchdown's bounced off of the LSU defender's helmets and into the arms of the receivers, with the game winner caught by Quincy Jackson.
An inspired Mississippi State team then beat Alabama 26-14, even though Bama's total offense was 456 to the Bulldog's 295. Then came Auburn. Many were saying that if Bama lost this one, DuBose could kiss his coaching career goodbye. Bama rallying around their coach and handed the Tigers a 31-17 trouncing. At least Bama closed the regular season with a 7-4 record, exact opposite of the year before, and was headed to the inagural Music City Bowl in Nashville.
In a freezing sleet and rain storm, the Tide was humiliated by Virginia Tech 38-7. Thus ended another dissapointing season. How could things get any worse for Mike DuBose? He and the rest of the Crimson faithful was about to find out.
During the spring, DuBose was rumored to had been involved with a female secretary, rumors he denied. But three months later, he admitted to the affair that led the University to settle a complaint for several hundred thousand dollars, money DuBose would have to repay out of his salary. Many called for his resignation admist the two dreadful seasons and revelation of his extra-marital affair. However, DuBose was popular with the players and University officials, including President Sorensen, who stood by him. DuBose was retained as coach, though his contract was shortened by two years and other sanctions were levied. The '99 squad was about to be tested in a way that it never envisioned.
The Turnaround Season
The 1999 squad started it's season unsure of itself and of their coach's future. However, despite an early 1-point loss to Louisiana Tech in a shocker at Legion Field, this team rallied around their coach and around their team leaders, namely seniors Shaun Alexander, Chris Samuels, Cornelius Griffin, and sophomore quarterback, Andrew Zow.
After the LA Tech loss, grumblings of "fire DuBose" once again permiated throughout the state. Bama, however, answered with an impressive win against Arkansas the following week.
Next came a very tough test against the second ranked Florida Gators in Gainesville on October 2, 1999. Many felt the administration would release DuBose if Bama was to lose this game. Needless to say, Alabama wasn't given much of a chance in competing, much less winning against the Gators, and with good reason. The list of the teams that have had success against Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators in "The Swamp" was short. The last team to beat them in the swamp was the Auburn Tigers in 1994. Over 85,000 were in attendance to witness what was to become one of the most exciting games in recent Alabama football history.
The entire game was a battle. Florida would strike quick, but Alabama would answer back with a controlled march down field led by quarterback Andrew Zow. Zow had a career day, countering every Florida attack with a patient Alabama counter. Neither team could gain the upper hand. The deciding moment came in overtime. Florida quickly scored but failed to convert the extra point. The door was open - giving Alabama an advantage. A touchdown and extra point would win the game. Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels knew the importance of the moment. When Shaun's number was called, he rose to the occasion. Chris Samuels and the Tide offensive line opened a hole in the Florida defensive line and Shaun made his way to the end zone. In the minds of the players, the game was won. The game was not over yet, however. Alabama, like Florida, missed the extra point... with one exception. A flag on the play gave Alabama another chance at a rare victory in Gainesville. The second attempt was good! Alabama won 40-39 and set the tone for the remainder of this memorable season.
Now ranked 11 in the polls, the Tide rolled through Ole Miss 30-24 and were looking forward to the Third Saturday in October. The Bama/Tennesee game marked the first time since 1930 that the Vols had played in Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately, the Vols beat Bama 21-7, but it might have been closer if both Shaun Alexander and Andrew Zow weren't both crippled with an ankle injury. With both Alexander and Zow out, backups Tyler Watts and Shaun Bohanon helped to take up the slack the following week and beat Southern Miss easily 35-14 during Homecoming. They were again called on the next week againt LSU, which turned out to be both a memorable and controversial game.
Bama led 23-7 in the third quarter but LSU fought back to just six points behind. An inspired Tigers were at the Bama 1-yard line with ten seconds left when quarterback Josh Booty rolled right but was stopped short by Marvin Constant and Reggie Myles. Then the controversy ensued. LSU had no more time outs, but Constant was hurt and it appeared that the referee called an injury time-out. Bama players, however, flooded the field in celebration. After about two minutes of arguing and finger pointing, the referees ruled the game over and Bama escaped 23-17.
Next week was the battle for the SEC West Championship againt an undefeated Mississippi State team. Many said Mississippi State was untested and overrated. The Bulldogs came into Bryant-Denny ready to prove their critics wrong. However, Bama proved them right as the Crimson Tide shocked State 19-7 and clinced an SEC West Championship and appearance in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Shaun Alexander scored two touchdowns to move into fourth place in the SEC's all-time scoring records, ahead of Auburn's Bo Jackson.
Then came Auburn. Alabama had not beaten Auburn on their home field for four straight meetings. Bama was losing 14-6 in the third quarter. Watts came in for a lackluster Zow and marched the Tide to the Auburn 6-yard line, where Shaun Alexander was shut down four times in a row. Things looked grim. Could the Jordan-Hare jinx strike again? On the very next play Bama sacked Auburn quarterback Ben Leard in the end zone for a safety. The Tigers kicked the ball back to Bama and Shaun Alexander proceeded to dominate the remainder of the game. Alexander marched into the endzone to give Bama a 15-14 go ahead score. Not only that, he scored two more TD's in the 4th quarter to become Alabama's all-time leading rusher, passing the great Bobby Humphrey. Bama won 28-17 to the delight of over 12,000 screaming fans chanting "SEC, SEC!" The Jordan-Hare jinx was over, Bama was Iron Bowl champs, and they could now focus on playing the Florida Gators once again in the SEC Championship game.
Two weeks later, one of the great games in Alabama football history would take place in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Many sportswriters, bookies, and even Tide fans didn't give Bama much of a chance in beating the Gators twice in one season. Most said Spurrier was too good of a coach to let a team beat him twice. Before kickoff, Gator fans were screaming "payback time," and it looked like they might be right as Florida scored a touchdown in less than two minutes, then Bama missed an easy field goal on the next drive. However, it was all Bama after that.
To the astonishment of sportwriters and the ecstasy of Bama fans, with Dubose alternating quarterbacks Andrew Zow and Tyler Watts, the Tide not only beat the gators, they demolished them! Florida was keying in on Alexander, and DuBose knew it and was able to take advantage. 
Two big highlights of the game came when Freddie Milons lined up at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Milons kept the ball, faked-out the entire Gator defense, and ran for a seventy-seven yard touchdown. On the very next Florida play, tackle Reggie Grimes snatched a deflected pass and ran it thirty-eight yards for another touchdown! Shaun Alexander added another touchdown later in the game that sealed the game 34-7. The Alabama Crimson Tide was 1999 SEC Champions.
The following Monday, Mike DuBose was chosen SEC Coach of the Year and Shaun Alexander was named SEC Player of the Year. Left tackle, Chris Samuels, who didn't allow a single sack all year, won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best lineman and well as the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker in the SEC. 
Alexander, Samues, and Milons were named All-SEC. What happended next, however, shocked and outraged Bama fans and players alike. A week before the deadline for the Heisman votes to even be mailed in, the Downtown Athletic Club announced that Shaun Alexander was not going to be considered for the Heisman Trophy. This despite Alexander becoming the nations top scorer (24 touchdowns, 144 points) and acheveing the highest national scoring average (13.9 points per game). Not only that, but he did it while having to miss one and a half games due to injury and in the process becoming Alabama's all-time leading rusher with 3,566 career yards. The prestige of the Downtown Athletic Club and the luster of the Heisman Trophy was tarnished that day in the eyes of many in the state of Alabama.
In any instance, Alabama earned a BCS Bowl and a trip to the Orange Bowl to play Michigan, one of the few football teams that could come close to Alabama's history and tradition. It would also mark Alabama's 50th appearance in a post-season game, by far surpassing all other teams. The game itself was a seesaw battle in what turned out to be one of the longest games in fooball history. Bama would go ahead twice by 14 points but the Wolverines would roar back every time. With the score tied 28-28, and only six seconds remaining, Michigan was on the verge of winning with an easy field goal. However, Alabama blocked the game winner to send it into overtime. Michigan scored on their first play in overtime and went ahead for the first time in the game. Bama came back with its own score and was prepared to tie it up again when the unthinkable happened; Ryan Pflugner's extra point sailed wide right and the game and season was suddenly over. Michigan won 35-34. Despite Bama's loss, theis was one of the great college games of all time, and Michigan coach Lloyd Carr summed it up when saying that no matter how much he liked to win, in this case "it was a shame that somebody had to lose."
While it was a heartbreaking loss, it couldn't spoil the accomplishments of the 1999 Crimson Tide team. It overcame an early coaching controversey to beat Florida twice in one year, win for the first time at Jordan-Hare, win the SEC Championship, play in a BCS Bowl Game, help Shaun Alexander become the all-time rushing leader at Alabama, and watch two of their players, Alexander and Chris Samuels become All-Americans and later, first round NFL draft picks. Yes, this team closed out the century in fitting fashion...as WINNERS.
During the first 107 years of Alabama football, the Crimson Tide had only ten losing seasons, the rest winning ones, had been invited to, and won, more post-season bowl games than any other college, won twelve National Championships, and boasted the nation's winningest coach with 323 wins.
Despite losing their two All-Americans, there were high expectations going into the 2000 season. Bama was ranked #2 in most preseason polls and Coach Dubose did little to downplay his team's high ranking. Most players, fans, and sportwriters were convinced that Bama would be playing for another National Championship come December. The Tide was to showcase their title run in a season opener against UCLA in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It was the first time Alabama had played there since 1946 and amidst the exitement, between 10 to 12,000 fans made the trek across country to cheer Bama on to victory.
The Bruins had different ideas. The game started off well for Alabama. After stopping UCLA on their first three plays, Freddie Milons returned the ensuing punt 71 yards to give the Tide the lead. Then on the Bruins' very next offensive play, starting quarterback Cory Paus was injured and out for the game. However, backup QB Ryan McCann led UCLA to scoring drives on their next three possessions. After falling behind 21-7, Alabama came back, pulling to within four points just before halftime, and retaking the lead midway through the third quarter on a Reggie Myles 91-yard interception return. However, the lead didn't last long as McCann threw a 46 yard pass for a TD and their running back, DeShaun Foster, sealed a win by scoring with less than two minutes to play. The Bruins had beaten Bama 26-16 and it was the biggest upset of the college weekend. Gone was Bama's optimistic run for another National Championship. The loss seemed to take the air out of the entire team and the rest of the season.
A victory over Vandy the next week did little to re-focus the team as the Tide was blanked by Southern Miss 21-0 and loss to Arkansas 28-21 the week after. Victory over 23rd ranked South Carolina and a thumping of Ole Miss 45-7 gave fans some hope that it could compete against Tennessee the following week. However, Bama didn't. The Vols beat Bama once again 20-10 in Knoxville. Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, Alabama loss their homecoming game to Central Florida, 40-38. That game seemed to seal the fate of Mike Dubose.
Reports of instablility among the coaching staff and players permiated throughout the Alabama media. Something had to give. Not many people were surprised when Mal Moore announced that Dubose would not be retained after the end of the season, but many were surprised that that it was done with three games left in the season.
Moore later said he hoped to put the rumors to rest so the team could focus on the remainder of the season and he could focus on finding a replacement. Dubose had broken many dubious records in his Alabama tenure and unfortunalely, there were two more that would be broken the following week verses LSU. Alabama hadn't lost in Tiger Stadium since 1969. Despite a valiant effort, Bama lost for the first time in 31 years in Baton Rouge. The loss also ensured Alabama's second losing season in the last four years and only its third since 1984.
A mentally and physically exhausted Bama team was dominated the following week by Mississippi state 29-7. The only way players and fans could get some satisfaction was to win against their arch rival in an historic Iron Bowl game the following week. It was the first time the Auburn Tigers had visted Tuscaloosa since 1901. Played on a freezing, rainy day mixed with sleet, Bama couldn't take advantage of three Auburn turnovers and Bama lost 9-0. The weather seemed to sum up Bama's miserable season. The game marked the end of the Mike Dubose era as Alabama head coach after only four years.
As if things weren't bad enough, there had been major accusations regarding the illegal recruitment of Alabama defensive lineman Albert Means by a former high school coach from his hometown in Memphis. An NCAA investigation soon followed.
The Crimson Tide was again facing possible NCAA sanctions and was once again looking for a new coach to lead the Crimson Tide.
In his search for a new head coach, Athletic Director Mal Moore went "outside of the family" to look for a person with proven head coaching experience and a record of success. Within a few weeks, he hired Dennis Franchione. Franchone built his reputation as a program reviver turning programs at New Mexico and TCU into contenders and now brought is brand of play to Tuscaloosa. 
Franchonie's debut was a rematch with UCLA in Tuscaloosa. Many hoped the Tide could avenge it's dishearting loss of last year with a new look offense now lead by Junior QB, Tyler Watts. Watts beat out long time starter Andrew Zow during spring practice that featured a more option-oriented offense behind the blocking of a young offensive line and trio of talented tailbacks, Ahmad Galloway, Brandon Miree, and Santonio Beard. Unfortunately Bama's effors came up short, losing 20-17. But a more enthusiastic and competitive team showed up, which was a relef to many Crimson Tide faithful.
Franchonie's first victory would come the following week against Vanderbilt. While the Tide looked sluggesh throughout the afternoon, they hung on to win 12-9. Bama was slated to face Southern Miss the next week until the tragic events of the September 11th terrorist attacks postponed college football. Many wondered how the events would effect the players and coaches in the following week's matchup with Arkansas. The Tide rolled, beating the Hogs 31-10 as Bama's new offense seemed to get on track. A matchup with South Carolina came up just short as the Gamecocks won 37-36. While Watts had a career day and the offense seemed unstoppable, the defense began to show cracks, especially in the secondary, as big play after big play burned Bama. A seemingly scrimmage type came next as they demolished UTEP 56-7. 
Then came Ole Miss and their heralded quarterback, Eli Manning. While the offense was pumping on all cylindars, the defense proved again to be the Tide's achilles as Manning picked apart the secondary. Bama lost 24-27. Two more losses came against Tennessee and LSU and suddenly Bama was sitting on a 3-5 record. To make things worse, backup running back Brandon Miree announced he was leaving the team. Many fans thought a repeat of the 2000 season was about to occur.
Throughout the week, everyone was uncertain who the starting quarterback would be. Would it be Watts' option attack or Zow's verticle attack? Franchione used this uncertainty to his advantage, closing practice all week and forcing Auburn to prepare against two offenses. On gameday, it was still a mystery until Zow stepped onto the field. He had a career day, throwing for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the process he broke Alabama's school record for most passing attempts and competions (previously held by Jay Barker.) Zow was helped by a dominating performance in the running game, outscoring Auburn's rushing attack 328 to 41.
Ahmaad Galloway had 127 yards while Santonio Beard had a breakout game, rushing for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both Freddie Milons and Jason McAddley gave impressive performances; Milons with 79 yards receiving and McAddley with 71 yards and 1 touchdown.
In a makeup game because of the terrorist attacks, Bama played Southern Miss next on a rainy Thursday night in Birmingham. Again, Bama rattled off another victory over the Golden Eagles, 23-15. The season was being salvaged as Bama was now bowl eligible.
Franchione found a way to stabilize the program even in the face of a 3-5 record and a fourth-quarter deficit against Mississippi State. The two-touchdown rebound against State sparked a four-game winning streak that sent Alabama into the offseason with a 7-5 mark, a 3 game improvement over the disasterous season of 2000. The re-emergence of senior quarterback Andrew Zow, who patiently waited for his moment behind Tyler Watts, played a key role in Alabama's turnaround.
