It was the Crimson Tide's 88th overall and 49th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 25th and final year, and played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
They finished season with eight wins and four losses (8–4 overall, 3–3 in the SEC) and with a victory over Illinois in the Liberty Bowl.
Paul Bryant's last season as Alabama football coach saw a nine-game winning streak against Auburn and eleven-game winning streaks against Tennessee and LSU all come to an end.
Coach Bryant retired after Alabama's bowl victory against Illinois and died less than one month later, on January 26, 1983.