Look, if you were watching the Alabama 2022 football schedule unfold in real-time, you know it was anything but a standard Nick Saban "business as usual" campaign. Usually, Alabama seasons feel like a slow, inevitable march toward a trophy. This one? It felt like a high-wire act where the wire was greased. We’re talking about a year where Bryce Young was basically a magician, Will Anderson Jr. was a human wrecking ball, and yet, the Tide still found themselves on the wrong side of two of the most chaotic finishes in modern SEC history.
It’s easy to look at an 11-2 record and think, "Yeah, they were great." But that doesn't tell the story. The 2022 season was a weird mix of absolute dominance and heart-stopping anxiety. Honestly, they were about four plays away from being 12-0 and a lock for the playoffs, but they were also about three plays away from having four losses. That’s the razor’s edge this team lived on.
Breaking Down the Alabama 2022 Football Schedule
The season kicked off with what everyone thought would be a laugher against Utah State. It was. A 55-0 blowout where Bryce Young looked like he hadn’t missed a beat from his Heisman year. But then came Week 2. Austin, Texas. High noon.
That game against Texas was the first real sign that things were going to be... different. Alabama walked into a hornet's nest. They looked sluggish, committed a ridiculous amount of penalties (15 for 100 yards!), and yet somehow escaped with a 20-19 win thanks to a late Will Reichard field goal. If Quinn Ewers doesn't get hurt in the first quarter, Alabama probably loses that game. It was a wake-up call that nobody really woke up from.
After that, things got "normal" for a bit. They cruised through UL Monroe and Vanderbilt, scoring a combined 118 points. Then they headed to Fayetteville to play Arkansas. This was another weird one. Bryce Young went down with a shoulder injury, the Hogs made a massive comeback, and then Jahmyr Gibbs basically decided he wasn't losing. He ripped off two massive touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to seal a 49-26 win.
💡 You might also like: Why Isn't Mbappe Playing Today: The Real Madrid Crisis Explained
The Mid-Season Chaos
If you ask any Bama fan about October 15, 2022, they might just stare into the distance and start twitching. The Tennessee game. It was the first time in 15 years the Vols beat the Tide, and it happened in the most explosive way possible. Final score: 52-49.
Imagine scoring 49 points and losing. Alabama's defense had no answer for Jalin Hyatt, who caught five—yes, five—touchdowns. Even after all that, Bama had a chance to win, but Reichard missed a field goal, and Tennessee’s Chase McGrath knuckled one through the uprights as time expired. It was pure madness.
The schedule didn't get any easier. A week later, they smothered Mississippi State 30-6, but the looming trip to Death Valley was the real hurdle. The LSU game on November 5 was effectively an elimination game for the College Football Playoff. It went to overtime, Brian Kelly went for two, and Alabama lost 32-31. Just like that, the playoff hopes were basically dead.
The Games That Defined the Season
When you look back at the Alabama 2022 football schedule, you see a team that refused to quit even when the "big goal" was gone. They finished the regular season with a gritty win over Ole Miss (30-24) and a dominant showing in the Iron Bowl, beating Auburn 49-27.
📖 Related: Tottenham vs FC Barcelona: Why This Matchup Still Matters in 2026
- Utah State: W 55-0 (The "false sense of security" game)
- At Texas: W 20-19 (The "how did we win that?" game)
- UL Monroe: W 63-7 (Stat padding)
- Vanderbilt: W 55-3 (The SEC opener)
- At Arkansas: W 49-26 (The Milroe relief appearance)
- Texas A&M: W 24-20 (A goal-line stand for the ages)
- At Tennessee: L 49-52 (The cigar smoke nightmare)
- Mississippi State: W 30-6 (The "get right" game)
- At LSU: L 31-32 (OT heartbreak in Baton Rouge)
- At Ole Miss: W 30-24 (Bryce Young's leadership on display)
- Austin Peay: W 34-0 (The pre-Iron Bowl breather)
- Auburn: W 49-27 (Iron Bowl dominance)
- Kansas State: W 45-20 (Sugar Bowl statement)
That Sugar Bowl against Kansas State was actually really important. A lot of people expected Bryce Young and Will Anderson to opt out. They didn't. They played, they dominated, and they sent a message that the standard at Alabama wasn't just about the playoffs—it was about finishing. They fell behind 10-0 early and then rattled off 35 straight points. It was vintage Saban.
Why 2022 Felt Different
Most people get wrong that the 2022 team was "bad" by Alabama standards. They weren't. They were actually incredibly talented, featuring the #1 and #3 picks in the following NFL Draft. The issue was discipline and consistency.
The Tide led the nation in penalties for a good chunk of the year. You can't commit double-digit penalties in hostile environments like Knoxville or Baton Rouge and expect to come out clean. Nick Saban himself often talked about the "anxiety" of the team and how they played tight.
Also, the offensive identity was a bit of a mess. Bill O'Brien's scheme relied heavily on Bryce Young making heroic plays out of nothing. While Young was elite at it, the lack of a consistent run game (until Gibbs got going late) made the offense one-dimensional at times.
👉 See also: Buddy Hield Sacramento Kings: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Takeaways from the 2022 Campaign
If you're looking back at this season to understand where the program is today, there are a few things you've gotta keep in mind. First, the 2022 season was the catalyst for major coaching changes. Pete Golding left for Ole Miss, and Bill O'Brien headed back to the NFL. Saban clearly saw that the "close calls" were becoming too frequent.
Second, the emergence of Jalen Milroe during the Arkansas and Texas A&M games gave us a glimpse into the post-Bryce Young era. He was raw, sure, but the athleticism was undeniable.
Third, the 2022 schedule proved that the SEC parity was actually real. Tennessee was a legitimate powerhouse that year, and LSU under Brian Kelly hit the ground running faster than anyone expected.
What you should do next:
If you want to really appreciate the nuance of this season, go back and watch the fourth quarter of the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game. It’s a perfect microcosm of the whole year: a backup quarterback struggling, the defense making an incredible stand on the final play, and a narrow escape that left fans both relieved and frustrated.
Check out the official SEC archives for the full stat sheets if you’re a numbers nerd, but for the vibes? Just remember that 2022 was the year Alabama proved they could be human—and still win 11 games.