They finished season undefeated with eleven wins (11–0 overall, 7–0 in the SEC), with a victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl and as consensus national champions.

The next week, Alabama defeated Tennessee for the first time since the 1954 season in the first Legion Field game of the year.

[15][16] Fracchia scored first on a two-yard run and was followed with a seven-yard Mal Moore touchdown pass to Red Wilkins.

[21] At Mobile, the Crimson Tide shutout the Tulane Green Wave for the first time since the 1959 season in this 9–0 victory.

[17][27][28] After a scoreless first quarter, the Wolfpack scored their only points of the game on a one-yard Roman Gabriel touchdown run for a 7–0 lead.

[17][31][32] After Tennessee took an early 3–0 lead on a 53-yard George Shuford field goal, Alabama responded with 34 unanswered points.

[31][32] The Crimson Tide scored first-quarter touchdowns on a five-yard Mike Fracchia run and a nine-yard Pat Trammell pass to Butch Wilson and a pair of Tim Davis field goals in the second quarter for a 20–3 halftime lead.

[31][32] They then closed the game with touchdown runs of eight-yards by Billy Richardson in the third and one-yard by Trammell in the fourth quarter.

[38] In the first night game of the year, Alabama defeated a tough Cougars squad 17–0 at Rice Stadium.

[46] In what was the only all-time meeting against the Spiders, Alabama won 66–0 and scored the most points in a game since their 89–0 win over Delta State in 1951.

Touchdowns were scored in the third quarter on a 66-yard Benny Nelson punt return and a 26-yard Jack Hurlbut pass to Red Wilkins and in the fourth quarter on runs of three-yards by Eddie Versprille, two-yards by Marlin Mooneyham and on a 28-yard Mal Moore pass to Jimmy Dill.

[52][53] Alabama then closed the game with a six-yard Richardson touchdown run in the third and a 34-yard field goal in the fourth to win 34–0.

[55] After the Crimson Tide was recognized as national champions by the major wire services, they defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 10–3 in the 1962 edition of the Sugar Bowl in what was the first all-time meeting between the schools.

Billy Neighbors was a unanimous selection to the 1961 College Football All-America Team at the tackle position.

[59] Second-team All-America selections included Lee Roy Jordan at center and Pat Trammell at quarterback.

[60] Additionally, Alabama had four players selected to the All-SEC First Team: Mike Fracchia at back, Jordan, Neighbors and Trammell.

[60][61] Trammell was also selected as the SEC Most Valuable Player for the 1961 season and Neighbors won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.

[69] The 1961 freshman squad was noted for its being led by Joe Namath at quarterback after he chose to attend Alabama after he received more than 50 athletic scholarship offers from other schools.

[71] After the Bulldogs took a 7–0 first quarter lead on a six-yard Ray Reed pass to Tommy Inman, Alabama tied the game 7–7 on an eight-yard Namath touchdown run early in the second.

[72] After the Green Wave scored their only points on the first play of the game when Leon Verriere recovered the fumbled kickoff in the end zone for a touchdown, Alabama responded on the next drive and tied the game 6–6 after Namath threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ray Ogden.

[72] In their final game of the season, Alabama tied the Auburn freshman team 7–7 before 7,000 fans in the rain at Cliff Hare Stadium.