| Myerberg |
| 2011 |
| 2009 |
| 2015 |
| 2012 |
| 2016 |
| 2013 |
| 2014 |
| 2008 |
| 2010 |
| 2007 |
First, let me briefly discuss the process about how I came up with the rankings. To do this, I grabbed all the offense and defense data for all the FBS teams that I use for the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from 2008 to 2016 and then I ran an offense regression and a defense regression. I used the coefficient's from the offense and defense (which were all statistically significant and of the correct sign) and multiplied the actual on-field production to get a offense total value and a defense total value. The higher the value for offense is a better offense and a lower value for defense is a better defense. Then I subtracted the defense value from the offense value to get the total value. The advantage here is that we are comparing those nine Crimson Tide seasons using the same "weights" for each season.
Second, I ranked offense, defense and total values since 2008. Below is my rankings of the Alabama Crimson Tide (in terms of production) overall, with just offense and with just defense.
| Total | Offense | Defense | ||
| 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | ||
| 2012 | 2012 | 2009 | ||
| 2011 | 2014 | 2016 | ||
| 2009 | 2015 | 2012 | ||
| 2015 | 2013 | 2010 | ||
| 2010 | 2010 | 2008 | ||
| 2014 | 2009 | 2015 | ||
| 2013 | 2011 | 2013 | ||
| 2008 | 2008 | 2014 |
As you can see since 2008, last season's Crimson Tide was the most productive, and the 2008 team was the least productive (excluding 2007 since I don't have that data). As you can see of the four national championships during Saban's tenure (2009, 2011, 2012 & 2015) that the 2016 team was actually more productive than the others and last year's team would have won except for that last exceptional drive by Clemson, that the 2016 team would also fit in that group.