Alabama joins rare company with latest ranking in AP poll
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The last time Alabama wasn’t ranked in the Associated Press poll was in 2007, Nick Saban’s first year with the program. The Crimson Tide went 7-6 that season.
Of course, Saban went on to have a legendary career in Tuscaloosa. The Tide were ranked No. 24 to start 2008. They haven’t left the Top 25 since.
How long has it been, exactly? Three hundred consecutive weeks, as 247Sports.com’s Mike Rodak noted shortly after the Week 4 AP Poll had the Tide at No. 7 after a blowout win over South Carolina. Only one other program in the history of the poll has achieved that mark: Nebraska.
To put things in perspective, after the 2008 preseason poll, Alabama wouldn’t be ranked outside of the Top 20 again during the Saban era. In fact, that didn’t happen until 2025, Kalen DeBoer‘s second season, when the Tide were ranked No. 21 after a season-opening loss to Florida State. That’s a level of consistency very few programs can boast.
Now, under Keelon Russell, Alabama has the look of a team that could make a deep College Football Playoff run. Russell has completed just over 70 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards and eight touchdowns versus just two interceptions — while rushing for three TDs — as the Tide sit at 4-0.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
