Nick Saban’s Best Bowl Games — #3 2007 Independence Bowl

Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa after the 2006 season, he has transformed Alabama into a bowl winning machine. The team has gone 5-1 under Saban in bowl games to date, with the Sugar Bowl on the horizon.

Coming in at number three on our countdown is Alabama's 30-24 victory over Colorado in the 2007 Independence Bowl during Saban's first year as head coach.

In hindsight, this is one bowl game that seems somewhat trivial compared to Alabama's recent success. While 2007 was easily the least impressive year of Saban's ongoing tenure at Alabama, it was a necessary one, laying the foundation for years to come.

Even though it was only six years ago, it seems like decades since Alabama has had a season when they had to bend over backwards to win games. Although it was no fault of Saban's, the 2007 squad struggled. Even for a man who is now widely considered the best of the best in college football, Saban faced an uphill battle, taking the reins of a program that had been in a downward spiral for the past decade. A mountain had to be climbed before what is affectionately known as, "The Process", could take full affect.

After starting the season with promise, notably an upset win over 16th-ranked Arkansas in week three, the Crimson Tide hit a wall losing four straight heading into the Independence bowl. This included an embarrassing loss to Louisiana-Monroe, whom they had beaten 41-7 the previous season. Alabama finished 6-6 in regular season play and seemed slightly, if any better than the team a year before, who headed into their bowl game with the same record.

Even in seasons when Alabama was not dominant as a whole, that has seldom been the case for the defense, with the 2007 defense being no exception. As is custom with Alabama teams, the defense was the center-piece and kept them competitive throughout the season.

The Crimson Tide started the game strong with a 27-0 lead, before untimely turnovers swung the momentum towards the Buffalo's. This allowed Colorado to slip back into the ballgame, struggling to finish the game, a trend that had become Alabama's M.O. in prior seasons. However, the commanding lead in the first half provided enough of a cushion to secure the win.

After the game John Parker Wilson told ESPN, "This team has a long way to go, but with everything we built this year, I'm really optimistic." Little did Wilson, or anyone else know, he was foreshadowing what would soon become the greatest dynasty of the BCS era.

Alabama fans need not forget the struggles the team went through not too long ago. If anything it should help them appreciate the job that Nick Saban and his staff has done and not take it for granted.

This game comes in at number three not because of the game itself and obviously not for their lackluster season. It is third because of what it represents for the program, the end of Alabama's "dark days", and the beginning of their resurgence to the top of the college football mountain. The same mountain that Saban was climbing in 2007, he now sits atop. The mountain that continues to grow, and with Nick Saban's new contract extension shows no signs of slowing down.