Nine games in, Alabama has already accomplished as much as several past champions

Alabama has been the most dominant team in college football this season. The Tide has defeated its opponents by a 361-119 margin during its 9-0 start, which is all the more impressive considering how difficult its schedule is.

So far, Alabama has defeated six ranked opponents, including its four consecutive since Oct. 9. The Tide also entered with the fourth-hardest scheduled in college football, according to the ESPN Football Power Index preseason rankings.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, only five teams who appeared in National Championship Games have finished with a record more difficult to achieve in a given season than Alabama’s current 9-0 start:

“How hard is it to start 9-0 against Alabama’s schedule? Only five teams — 2009 Alabama, 2010 Auburn, 2005 Texas, 2015 Alabama and 2011 LSU — finished the season with a record more difficult to achieve in that given season than Alabama’s current 9-0 record.”

That’s pretty elite company for a team on pace to be a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. But that’s expected from Alabama, who earned its 21st consecutive win on Saturday and is the defending college football national champion.

So far, no one has been able to slow the Tide’s roll through its schedule, no matter how difficult it is.

Jason Hall

Jason covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.