In the soon-to-be-over offseason, teams being framed as the 'Next Alabama' have drawn the ire of Alabama Crimson Tide fans. Some of the most recent are the Texas Longhorns, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Dig deeper, and such claims become more fanciful with teams like the Oregon Ducks, the LSU Bengal Tigers, and even the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Nonsense thrives in too-long offseasons, but the 'Next Alabama' talk goes too far. Let's consider some real measurements any program would have to reach to become the next Alabama.
Going back the last 16 seasons, Alabama Football's record was 196-25 (88.2%) with six National Championships. No other program won more than two National Championships during the 2009-2024 period. The only three teams to win the Natty twice were Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia.
A fair argument can be made that 16 seasons is going back too far. Let's look at the recent 10-season span instead.
Alabama Crimson Tide 2015 - 2024
The Crimson Tide's 10-season overall record was 124-16 (88.6%), with six SEC Championships and three National Championships.
The closest contenders to matching Alabama during the ten seasons were Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia.
Overall Record
- Alabama Crimson Tide - 88.6%
- Ohio State Buckeyes - 87.8%
- Clemson Tigers - 85%
- Georgia Bulldogs - 76.9%
- Texas Longhorns - 62%
Power Four Conference Championships
- Clemson Tigers - Eight ACC Championships
- Alabama Crimson Tide - Six SEC Championships
- Ohio State Buckeyes - Four Big Ten Championships
- Georgia Bulldogs - Three SEC Championships
- Texas Longhorns - One Big 12 Championship
The most important measurement for any team being framed as the 'Next Alabama' is the National Championship. Alabama Football is in a four-season drought, but in the 10-season period, the Crimson Tide won three National Championships. Georgia (2021 and 2022) and Clemson (2016 and 2018) are close behind with two each. From last season, Ohio State has one National Championship during the 10-season period. The Texas Longhorns have none, with the most recent Texas National Championship won in 2005.
If the data were compressed to the most recent five seasons, Georgia could be considered as the 'Next Alabama', but that would only make sense if Alabama had been the King of college football for such a short interval. Instead, Alabama was the King for well over a decade. And if 2025 brings the Crimson Tide another National Championship, all the predictions about the 'Next Alabama' will look foolish.
Note: Team data provided by Sports Reference and ncaa.com