Nearly six months ago, I wrote about sources downgrading the prospects of the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide, which quickly became the norm. The main source discussed was Mark Schlabach's Top 25 ranking that had Alabama at No. 21. Six SEC football teams were ranked higher than the Crimson Tide.
After others agreed with Schalbach's rankings, my take was driven by a mixture of disagreement and dismay. In no way was I going to accept that Alabama's fortunes had fallen so far. Today, my opinion is much the same. Despite more projections indicating Alabama will not be much above a mid-level SEC football team in 2026, I am confident those projections are wrong.
Since January, a wave has built, downgrading the Crimson Tide. In February, Brandon Marcello (yes, the former Aubie Marcello), writing for CBS, projected Alabama as the SEC's sixth-best team. In May, SI.com projected the Crimson Tide as the SEC's seventh-best team, behind Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss.
A recent projection by Athlon Sports predicted the final SEC standings at the end of the regular season. The projection was consistent with other 'gloom and doom' expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide - another seventh-best SEC team ranking.
Begrudgingly, I will acknowledge there are sensible reasons to question the 2026 Crimson Tide. Last season's ineffective offensive o-line has been rebuilt, and there is no way to know how good it will become. Last season's run game was an embarrassment, and maybe is was not all on the o-line. Alabama will be one of college football's least experienced teams in terms of game experience. Underlying all that is that Alabama stunk in two of last season's three games.
Alabama Crimson Tide Fans and Hope
Still, when English poet Alexander Pope wrote "hope springs eternal," he provided words to explain the almost unshakable optimism of many Alabama football fans. Count me as one of them. That is, until I saw Chris Low's ranking of SEC teams. Despite Low being a Tennessee grad, my respect for his work does not waver. Low projecting Alabama as the SEC's No. 7 team is a body blow. All I can counter with is that the person who knows the ins and outs of SEC football is an expert, but not an oracle.
Long ago, during a halftime, with Tennessee soundly beating Alabama, Paul Bryant told his team, "we've got'em right where we want'em." Bryant was right; Alabama won. Could the Alabama Crimson Tide have the rest of the SEC where it wants them now?
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