Nick Saban’s Best Bowl Games — #5 2009 Sugar Bowl

Over the past several years, Nick Saban's name has become synonymous with that of the national championship. Often lost in all of the conversation about titles are the bowl games he coached that where ultimate goals weren't at stake. We will be ranking Saban's top five non-national championship games, looking at one each week. Coming in at number five is Alabama's 2008 Sugar Bowl loss to the Utah Utes.

Saban led his previously top-ranked Crimson Tide into the Allstate Sugar Bowl as heavy favorites after having their championship hopes ended by number two Florida and dropping to fourth in the polls.

However, the Utes jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. The Tide were beaten down in dominating fashion by Utah, who when it was all said and done, was one of the few unbeaten teams who did not get a shot at the national title during the BCS era.

You may be thinking, why would such a devastating loss be ranked at number five? For two reasons, the first being the strong season Alabama had and the significance of making it to the Sugar Bowl.

Before Saban arrived, the University of Alabama had not won a national championship Game since 1992. Although they didn’t win it in 2008, the Crimson Tide was within grasp all the way through the regular season, which is much more than can be said of many of the seasons prior. Also, it was Alabama’s first BCS bowl appearance in nearly a decade. The Crimson Tide were devastated by not making it to the BCS Championship, and then again by being blown out in the Sugar Bowl. However, based on Saban’s proven success, and the success of the Tide that season, it was evident that 2008 was not a fluke and that Alabama’s star was on the rise.

The second reason this game is number five on the list is that the 2013 team has something to look back on and from which to learn.

Although it was not the SEC Championship but the Iron Bowl, this season’s Crimson Tide had their title hopes dashed in similar fashion. They have the benefit of looking back to a team who also headed into the Sugar Bowl as favorites and let a bowl victory slip away. The loss provides a coaching point for Saban.  It enables him to urge his troops to not let history repeat itself. Although disappointed, the team can still accomplish what most teams don’t by winning a BCS bowl.

This year’s team can not only learn by what that 2008 squad did wrong, but what they did right as well. Rather than letting the disappointment get the best of them, they used it as fuel to motivate them and accomplish their goals the next season. Returning to the field with fire and vengeance and overcoming it all to finish as national champions.