The1993Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in theLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans,Louisiana. It was the final game of the1992 college football season and served as the firstnational championship game selected by theBowl Coalition, predecessor to theBowl Alliance,Bowl Championship Series (BCS), and later theCollege Football Playoff (CFP). The game featured two unbeaten teams in theAlabama Crimson Tide and theMiami Hurricanes. Alabama defeated Miami, 34–13, to finish the season 13–0 and lay claim to the 12th national championship in program history. It was Alabama's first national championship since1979.

Miami, out of theBig East conference, was led byHeisman Trophy-winning quarterbackGino Torretta, and was playing for back-to-back undefeated seasons and consecutive National Championships.

Alabama also entered the matchup undefeated, following their 28–21 victory over theFlorida Gators in theinaugural SEC Championship Game.

This was the inaugural season of theBowl Coalition, which was intended to ensure that the national championship would be decided on the field. Its formula worked as intended, forcing the first bowl matchup between the consensus #1 and #2 teams in the nation since the end of the1987 season. As Big East champion, #1 Miami was not contractually obligated to a bowl. The Hurricanes were thus free to face #2 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, which the Crimson Tide hosted as SEC champion.

Miami was heavily favored and came into the game on a 29-game winning streak; the Hurricanes had not lost since a 29–20 loss toNotre Dame in 1990. Alabama's defense held the Hurricanes to just 13 points, intercepting Torretta three times, en route to a consensus national championship. Alabama rushed for 267 yards—67 more yards than the Hurricanes had allowed all season. At one point, the Tide lined up all eleven players on the line of scrimmage. The confused Torretta was picked off byGeorge Teague, who returned it for a touchdown.^[4]

A legendary play in Alabama football lore, known as "The Strip",^[5] occurred when Miami wide receiverLamar Thomas caught a deep pass from Torretta and was sprinting for what seemed like an 89-yard touchdown. However, Teague caught Thomas from behind, stripped the ball from him, and started running the other way before being tackled.^[6] The play became famous following Thomas's pre-game comments regarding the SEC, the superiority of the Miami receiving corps, and the manhood of the Alabama defensive backs.^[7] While the play was negated by an Alabamaoffside penalty, it still ultimately prevented a Miami touchdown, as Miami would have simply declined the penalty had the strip not taken place.^[6]

Torretta threw three interceptions after only throwing four in the entire season. It drew parallels toVinny Testaverde's five-interception performance in the1987 Fiesta Bowl.^[6] Following the poor performance, some reporters began to question whether Torretta deserved the Heisman.^[8]

The Crimson Tide's victory meant not only their 12th national championship but also the first since legendary coachPaul "Bear" Bryant died in 1983 less than five weeks after coaching his last game. Alabama's coachGene Stallings was one of theJunction Boys, the group ofTexas A&M players who endured Bryant's punishing 1954 summer camp. It would be the school's last national football championship untilNick Saban's first as Alabama head coach in2009.

• Alabama vs. Miami George Teague's rundown of Lamar Thomas viaYouTube

• 1992–93 NCAA football bowl games
• Sugar Bowl
• Alabama Crimson Tide football bowl games
• Miami Hurricanes football bowl games
• Bowl Coalition
• January 1993 sports events in the United States
• 1993 in sports in Louisiana

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