Our long national nightmare is officially over, and in just a few short hours, Alabama will kick off its 2026 season against East Carolina in a scorching-hot Bryant-Denny Stadium.
That will begin Kalen DeBoer's pivotal third season as the Crimson Tide's head coach. No, he's not on the hot seat as some in the national media want you to believe. Not after landing a contract extension over the offseason. But in terms of perception among the fans that he's the right guy moving forward, this season is vital.
Alabama won 11 games a season ago, but the 38-3 loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl leaves a sour taste that can only be removed by results on the field.
It's a new-look Alabama team, especially on offense. Keelon Russell will make his first start, and a revamped offense will look to open up holes for a running game that needs to show tangible signs of improvement. Quickly.
East Carolina brings a mostly new team from a group that won nine games a season ago, but they have one of the most experienced rosters in the country with veterans littering the two-deep.
Alabama is a comfortable favorite, but ECU is far from a pushover. This will be a quality early test to see where the Crimson Tide is coming out of a fall camp that was filled with optimism.
Betting odds for Alabama vs. East Carolina
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6am ET on Saturday.
Spread: Alabama -28.5
Over/Under: 52.5
Moneyline: Alabama -7000/East Carolina +2000
Alabama vs. East Carolina game predictions
All eyes will be on Alabama's offensive line in Week 1. With four new starters, the Crimson Tide will get an immediate test from a Pirates defensive front that includes two fourth-year players and two fifth-year players in the projected starting group.
Can Alabama effectively run the football? Can the offensive line protect Russell enough to allow the sophomore to get comfortable in his first career start?
Alabama should be safe from a Week 1 upset, but the performance in the first game will go a long way toward telling us what type of season DeBoer and company are in store for. If the same issues from last season creep up against a Group-of-Six opponent, you might hear some loud groans from the Tuscaloosa faithful.
Picks:
John Mitchell: Alabama 35, East Carolina 10
Ron Evans: Alabama 38, East Carolina 13
Trevion Ware: Alabama 42, East Carolina 3
Jaleel Grandberry: Alabama 42, East Carolina 14
Dominic Giacobazzi: Alabama 35, East Carolina 27
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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