Alabama tagged with lowest preseason AP Poll ranking in nearly 20 years
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are entering a very important third season in the Kalen DeBoer era, and they will be doing so with their lowest preseason ranking in almost 20 years.
Per the AP’s official preseason poll, the Crimson Tide are coming into 2026 as the No. 13 squad in the land, which is their worst starting point since the 2008 campaign.
That 2008 season was just the second of Nick Saban‘s legendary tenure at the helm in Alabama, and it was the last time the team debuted outside of the top-10. Alabama started off ranked No. 24 that year, but finished the season ranked No, 6 after finishing with a 12-2 record.
After all these years, it’s safe to say that this is very unfamiliar territory for the Tide. This reality further emphasizes the pressure that DeBoer and his staff are under after 2 disappointing seasons.
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The top brass at Alabama did extend DeBoer during the spring, but many analysts viewed it as a move to stave off potential suitors looking to lure the head coach away, rather than a vote of confidence in DeBoer’s leadership.
If the Tide can’t navigate back to the top of the SEC and make a deep run in the College Football Playoff this season, folks in Tuscaloosa may start getting uneasy about the program’s direction.
