Kalen DeBoer has Alabama off to a 4-0 start ahead of a ridiculously challenging five-game stretch that will ultimately determine the outcome of this season.
The Crimson Tide has been steadily improving, and just played its most complete game of the season in a 49-18 shellacking of South Carolina.
As expected with Ole Miss losing ahead of them, Alabama moved up one spot in the AP Poll. But it should have been more.
Alabama is now No. 7, up from No. 8 last week and now six spots up from the No. 13 ranking they began the season with. Tougher challenges await, but the Crimson Tide looks like a playoff team after four weeks, and a win over Mississippi State on the road would skyrocket those chances.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/x2LaKBIFNd pic.twitter.com/QamhnesNNb
— On3 (@On3) September 27, 2026
Indiana and Ohio State being ranked ahead of Alabama makes zero sense
Indiana remains ranked highly because it is the defending national champion and for no other reason. The Hoosiers have not been impressive through four games. After rolling through a pitiful non-conference schedule, Indiana faced their first team with a pulse on Friday night against Northwestern at home, and the Wildcats had them in deep water.
Josh Hoover looks like a significant downgrade from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, and the Indiana offensive line isn't the dominant unit they hung their hats on a season ago. Curt Cignetti is a great coach and will likely get some things figured out, but Indiana doesn't look like a Top 10 team, and there's no argument for having them ahead of Alabama right now.
Ditto for Ohio State, which remains in the Top 5 despite having a loss. You don't want to penalize a team too much for playing an elite out-of-conference opponent, but the Buckeyes' resume is pretty weak outside of playing that game.
They earned their first Power Four win of the season this week against Illinois. Prior to that, they had beaten two Group-of-Six opponents. Through four weeks, Alabama already has three wins over Power Four teams, including a Top 25 win over newly ranked No. 24 Kentucky on the road. That's miles better than anything on Ohio State's resume right now.
Of course, none of the rankings matter at this point. Alabama will wind up where they want to be if they keep taking care of business. This five-game stretch coming up will be incredibly challenging, but with Keelon Russell continuing to level up, you like the Crimson Tide's chances against pretty much anyone.
If Alabama can go on the road and take down No. 16 Mississippi State in Week 5, it'll be even more difficult for the national media to doubt them, as much as they want to.
Add us as a preferred source on Google