1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football
SEC Western Division co-champion
Outback Bowl champion
SEC Championship Game, L 30–45 vs. Florida
Outback Bowl, W 17–14 vs. Michigan
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionWestern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 11
Record10–3 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorWoody McCorvey (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorMike DuBose (1st season)
Home stadiumBryant–Denny Stadium
Legion Field
1996 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$  8 0   12 1  
No. 9 Tennessee  7 1   10 2  
South Carolina  4 4   6 5  
Kentucky  3 5   4 7  
Georgia  3 5   5 6  
Vanderbilt  0 8   2 9  
Western Division
No. 11 Alabama xy  6 2   10 3  
No. 12 LSU x  6 2   10 2  
No. 24 Auburn  4 4   8 4  
Mississippi State  3 5   5 6  
Ole Miss  2 6   5 6  
Arkansas  2 6   4 7  
Championship: Florida 45, Alabama 30
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Gene Stallings in his seventh and final season as head coach, the Crimson Tide compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, SEC's Western Division title with LSU. By virtue of a head-to-head win over Tigers, Alabama advanced to the SEC Championship Game, where the Crimson Tide lost to the eventual national champion Florida. Alabama was then invited to the Outback Bowl, defeating Michigan in the game. The team played home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Alabama's loss to Mississippi State on November 16 broke a 15-game winning streak Alabama had in the series, and was the Crimon Tide's first loss to the Bulldogs since a dramatic upset that Bulldogs posted over the top-ranked Tide in 1980. Following a victory in the annual Iron Bowl on November 23, Stallings announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season.