Alabama plummets in ESPN FPI rankings following Week 1 dud
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Alabama was the No. 8 team in the country heading into the 2025 season, and some media (myself included) thought that might even be too low for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama, entering Year 2 under Kalen DeBoer, was supposed to have an elite defense for DC Kane Wommack. QB Ty Simpson was supposed to step into the starting role and at least be able to get the ball to star WR Ryan Williams effectively. The offensive line was supposed to be dominant.
Well, none of those things happened on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, where the Tide got thumped 31-17 by an unranked Florida State squad.
A familiar Alabama foe — new FSU OC Gus Malzahn — had his way with the Tide defense behind outspoken QB Thomas Castellanos. It was an embarrassing effort for DeBoer and company, and that is reflected in the updated ESPN FPI rankings.
Alabama fell 10 spots in Sunday’s FPI update, dropping from No. 3 in the nation to No. 13.
Here’s a look at the updated top 15 FPI rankings:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Ole Miss
- Penn State
- USC
- Oregon
- Notre Dame
- Tennessee
- LSU
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- Miami
The Tide host Louisiana-Monroe next Saturday and then Wisconsin comes to town. Can DeBoer right the ship? We’ll find out quickly.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
