| Year: | 1988 |
| Team: | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Aprank: | 17 |
| Coachrank: | 17 |
| Record: | 9–3 |
| Conf Record: | 4–3 |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Don Lindsey |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Captain2: | David Smith |
| Stadium: | Bryant–Denny Stadium (Capacity: 70,123) Legion Field (Capacity: 75,962) |
| Champion: | Sun Bowl champion |
| Bowl Result: | W 29–28 vs. Army |
The 1988 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 96th overall and 55th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bill Curry, in his second year, and played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of nine wins and three losses (9–3 overall, 4–3 in the SEC) and with a victory in the Sun Bowl over the Army.
Alabama suffered close losses to rivals LSU and Auburn in November, but the low point of the season was a 22–12 loss on homecoming to Ole Miss, Alabama's first ever loss against Ole Miss in the state of Alabama.[1] Alabama had zero yards passing in the game.[2] Highlights included a victory over Penn State, Alabama's third consecutive victory over Tennessee, and a come-from-behind 29–28 victory in the Sun Bowl over Army in which quarterback David Smith threw for 412 yards, an all-time bowl record for an Alabama quarterback.[3] [4]
Alabama's road game against Texas A&M, originally scheduled for September 17, was postponed to December 1 when Coach Curry declined to make the trip, worried about oncoming Hurricane Gilbert.[5] When Gilbert made landfall in Mexico and the weather in College Station was clear on gameday, A&M fans called Alabama's coach "Chicken Curry".[6] Alabama won the rescheduled game on December 1 by a final score of 30–10.[7]
The 8-3 victory vs. Penn State was the last time the Crimson Tide hosted a major non-conference opponent at Legion Field. From 1989 through its final game there in 2003, Alabama only played lesser-known non-conference opponents in Birmingham, although series vs. SEC rivals Tennessee and Auburn remained at Legion Field through 1997 and 1998, respectively.
See main article: 1988 Sun Bowl.
See also: 1988 Army Cadets football team.
See main article: 1989 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Linebacker | 1 | 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Greg Gilbert | Linebacker | 5 | 136 | Chicago Bears |
| Punter | 6 | 146 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Tight end | 6 | 158 | New York Giants | |
| Linebacker | 7 | 188 | Los Angeles Rams | |
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