5TYDK No. 3: Best Against The Best
The Crimson Tide has the fourth-toughest schedule in college football this season per ESPN.com’s preseason College Football Power Index, trailing only USC, Ole Miss and Florida State. Alabama will, by season’s end, face off with nine teams who participated in a bowl game a season ago and will have met four teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
The Crimson Tide is 42-12 (.778) against the Associated Press top 25, including a 22-6 (.786) mark against AP top-10 teams since the start of 2008. This season, the Tide has faced three teams ranked in the AP poll, defeating then-No. 20 USC, 52-6, then-No. 19 Ole Miss, 48-43 and then No. 16 Arkansas, 49-30. Alabama is scheduled for three more matchups against teams currently in the top 25 (No. 9 Tennessee, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 23 Auburn). Alabama finished 8-1 in 2015 against the AP top 25 after going 5-2 in 2014, 3-2 in 2013 and 5-1 in 2012. The Tide held a 4-1 mark vs. top 25 teams in 2011 and went 5-3 in 2010.