Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts after a penalty during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies. Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Aggies Broke Nick Saban's 'Unbreakable' Streak

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 8:00 AM ET

After their move to the SEC in 2012, the Texas A&M Aggies had to share a division with the powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide and possibly the greatest college football coach of all-time, Nick Saban. They of course had their fair deal of struggles against the team that ruled college football with an iron fist for so long, but when they got the upper hand, they did so in dramatic fashion.

The Aggies upset the Crimson Tide twice in their 12 years as division rivals, first in 2012 and again in 2021. The 2012 game was iconic, as Johnny Manziel led the Aggies into Tuscaloosa and essentially won the Heisman Trophy by defeating the No. 1 team in the country. The 2021 game, though, seems to have been more forgotten.

Very few gave the Aggies a chance in this game, as they had just lost their previous two games against Arkansas and Mississippi State while the Crimson Tide were the No. 1 team at the time. However, they went blow-for-blow throughout the night, and Seth Small kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to give A&M the win and stun the college football world.

With that win, the Aggies broke one of college football's most unbreakable streaks, according to ESPN's Chris Low.

"The Crimson Tide won 100 consecutive games against unranked foes under Saban and went 14 years without losing a game to an unranked opponent, a streak that was snapped by a 41-38 loss to 19-point underdog Texas A&M on Oct. 9, 2021 with a walk-off 28-yard field goal by the Aggies' Seth Small," Low wrote. "It was the longest such streak in the AP poll era, and Saban was 123-4 overall at Alabama against unranked teams.

"Saban had not lost to an unranked team since his first season at Alabama in 2007, when Louisiana-Monroe upset the Tide 21-14 in Tuscaloosa. The next closest winning streak against unranked teams in the AP poll era (since 1936) is 73 by Florida from 1990 to 2000 under Steve Spurrier. Miami won 72 in a row from 1985 to 1995."

Actually, they broke two "unbreakable" streaks. Saban was previously 24-0 against his former assistant coaches, but then-Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher became the first to beat him.

Saban's dominance over his time at Alabama was nothing short of remarkable, and likely something the sport will never see again. However, that made it all the more impressive when a team managed to get the best of the Crimson Tide, as the Aggies did on that fateful night.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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