Interesting facts about Clemson and Alabama you should know before the big game

This evening part III of the Clemson Alabama rivalry will be played out.  This is even a game the great Paul “Paul” Bryant may wake up from his eternal rest to watch.  The heralded history of these two program shows this is more than just a game.

Before you order your favorite pint, rest your best on your bar stool, place your bet on the coin toss and order those wings, there are a few interesting facts you should know about both teams.

Here are some great tidbits to impress your friends during the game.

• The first meeting between Clemson and Alabama took place in 1900 and was won 35-0 by Clemson and coach John Heisman (The same man whom the prestigious award is named after).  In fact, the Tigers would win the first three meetings by a combined 78-0.  Since then, the Tide are 13-1 in the last 110 years with the worst win being 74-7 in 1931.
• Clemson Football Instagram has 307K followers (clemsonfb); Alabama Football 428K (@alabamafbl).

Clemson Facts:

• Clemson’s last 2 national championships were 1981 and 2017 when they beat Nebraska 22-15 and and Alabama respectively.  Their 20 conference titles is the most by any current or former ACC school.
• Clemson had a defensive player taken in the first round of the NFL draft for 3 consecutive years.  Not other school can lay stake to that claim.
• Clemson’s school record winning streak stands at 17 straight.
• Clemson University originally was an all-male military school, and was named the Clemson Agricultural College when it opened in July 1893 with 446 students.
• In 1917, the entire senior class at Clemson University enlisted in World War I.
• Clemson and Alabama have played each other 17 times and Clemson has only beaten Alabama once since 1905 and that was last year’s title game.
• John Heisman (whom the award is named after) coached Clemson from 1900 – 1903 racking up a 19-3-2 record.
• Clemson has employed five coaches who were Alabama alums and they have accounted for 52% of the teams total wins.

Alabama Facts:

• Alabama’s first football team was created in 1892. Nicknamed the “Thin Red Line,” it later became the “Crimson Tide.”
• The University of Alabama became a military school in 1860, but abandoned their Military system in 1903.
• The University of Alabama football team has 16 National Championships, with its first in 1925 and its most recent title won in 2012.
• Nick Saban is attempting to win his 6th National Championship which would tie him with Paul “Bear” Bryant for all time (4 with Alabama, 1 with LSU).
• In 1969, the year college football celebrated its 100th year, Coach Bear Bryant picked up his 100th win at Alabama beating Clemson 38-13.  The game ball was presented to Coach Bryant by team captain Danny Ford who would go on to coach Clemson to their 1981 National Championship title.
• Coach Nick Saban has won 221 games in his college coaching career.

Famous alumni:

Alabama: Mel Allen (Baseball Announcer) – Alabama School of Law; Lee Brice (Country Music star) – Clemson University; Rece Davis (ESPN Announcer) – Alabama University; James Dickey (Author of “Deliverance”) – Clemson University; John Edwards (Politician) – Clemson University before transferring to NC State; Winston Groom (Author of “Forest Gump”) – Alabama University; Harper Lee (Author of “To Kill a Mockingbird) – studied law at University of Alabama by didn’t complete degree; Dolph Lundgren (Actor – Rocky IV) – Clemson University; Bernie Madoff (Ponzie Scheme Fame) – 1 Year at Alabama University; Jim Nabors (Actor – Gomer Pyle) – University of Alabama; Strom Thurmond (Politician) – Clemson University; James Micheal Tyler (Actor – Gunther on Friends) – Clemson University; Jimmy Wales (Co-Founder – Wikapedia) – Master’s Degree from Alabama University; George Wallace (Governor of Alabama) – University of Alabama; Sela Ward (Actress) – Alabama University

Now you can impress all your friends with some great and even obscure facts about Clemson and Alabama.

Good luck to both teams as we expect a great game.