When the Crimson Tide takes on Texas Longhorns in the BCS national championship game on Thursday night; Alabama will be playing for SEC Football’s 19th national title. Or 36th. Or 53rd. Or whatever you like. It depends on they way we determine “national championship” as to what this total may be.

Something that is positive is that if the Crimson Tide beats Texas, SEC Football may win at minimum 2 of the 4 major “national championship” trophies for the 4th season straight. The game’s victor is legally promised the AFCA National Championship Trophy and the National Football Foundation’s MacArthur Bowl. The victor near positively will win the AP’s Paul “Bear” Bryant Trophy and the FWAA’s Grantland Rice Award, also.

Following are the SEC Football colleges that were recognized as the final No. 1 in the three major polls. (The AP poll began in ’36, the coaches in 50 and the FWAA in ’54.)

The University of Tennessee Volunteers, 1951: University of Tennessee opened as the No. one group in the AP pre- season poll, even though they were not absolute SEC Football winners.

Auburn University, ’51- Auburn University finished 10-0 by overwhelming their opponents 207-28, with SEC Football’s All-American Jimmy Phillips anchoring the nation’s No. one defense.

The Louisiana State University Tigers, 58: The LSU Fighting Tigers took the second match of their 10-0 standard season 13-3 up over University of Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.

The Rebels, 1960- On the back of All-American quarterback Jake Gibbs, The University of Mississippi Rebels finished 10-0-1 by beating the Rice University Owls 14-6 in the Sugar Bowl.

Alabama, 1961- The 1st of six SEC Football University of Alabama teams coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant to top the final AP poll outplayed its opponents 287-22 in the standed year to finish No. one in all-around defense and in the same spot in the final AP and coaches polls.

The Crimson Tide, ’64: Alabama’s 10-0 standard-season campaign included a 36-6 victory over the Tulane Green Wave in Mobile, AL.

The University of Alabama Crimson Tide, ’65: University of Alabama finished the SEC Football regular season at 8-1-1, having lost its season-opener by 1 point to The UGA Bulldogs and tied with The University of Tennessee Volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of October.

University of Alabama, ’73: The highest-scoring team in Crimson Tide history and the most productive rushing squad in SEC Football past raced through eleven regular-season games to get the coaches poll’s final No. 1 placing.

the Crimson Tide, 78: University of Alabama led the first three AP polls of the year, then failed to go back to the top place until the last one — getting No. 1 by outscoring previously unbeaten the Penn State Nittany Lions 14-7 in the Sugar Bowl with the famous goal-line play.

the Crimson Tide, 79: Alabama Crimson Tide became the 1st SEC Football team to be proclaimed No. one by each of three of the major polls.

University of Georgia, 1980- University of Georgia beat Notre Dame University 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl behind SEC Football freshman genius Herschel Walker.

University of Alabama, ’92: Alabama Crimson Tide crowned all three terminal polls, but not until it outscored favored and previously undefeated the Miami Hurricanes 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl.

University of Florida, 1996- It seemed as if the The Florida Gators’ championship ambitions perished when they lost the final SEC Football regular-season match 24-21 to Florida State.

Tennessee, 98: The University of Tennessee Volunteers won the 1st BCS title match, which was played as the Fiesta Bowl and introduced the two-team “playoff” still used to pick a national champion nowadays.

The LSU Bayou Bengals, 2003- At the leadership of current the Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, The Loisiana State University Fighting Tigers beat The Oklahoma Sooners 21-14 in the BCS championship match, which also was the Sugar Bowl.

The Florida Gators, 06- The 12-1 Florida took the three No. 1 rankings by outscoring Ohio State 41-14 in the first BCS national championship match that was not also an existing bowl match.

The Louisiana State University Tigers, ’07- LSU followed The Florida Gators’ recipe to the top by smashing Ohio State in the BCS national championship game.

Florida, 08: The University of Florida Gators bounced back from a one-point September loss to The Ole Miss Rebels to end 13-1, in the process giving the Crimson Tide its first loss in a huge SEC Football championship game and pounding The Sooners 24-14 in the BCS championship match.