279.
That's how many consecutive weeks Alabama has been included in the AP Poll. The last time the Crimson Tide was unranked as the final AP Poll of the 2007 season, Nick Saban's debut in Tuscaloosa, which featured an up-and-down 7-6 finish that served as a small blip on the radar for the dynasty to come.
That's the longest active streak in the country, and the second-longest AP Poll streak in college football history, behind only Nebraska's 348 consecutive weeks from 1981-2002.
It's yet another streak that is in jeopardy of ending under Kalen DeBoer.
Alabama graduate and prominent media personality Rece Davis spoke about his alma mater during the 4th quarter of the broadcast of North Carolina/TCU on Monday night. He and Kirk Herbstreit had some air to fill in the midst of a blowout win for the Horned Frogs in Bill Belichick's UNC debut.
Davis is an AP voter, and his assessment of Alabama was harsh - but hard to argue it was anything but fair. Davis revealed that in his submitted AP ballot, he didn't rank them this week. Herbstreit agreed with him, calling the decision fair.
After Alabama’s loss to FSU on Saturday, ESPN’s Rece Davis says he doesn’t have the Tide in his AP ballot.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) September 2, 2025
“I didn’t rank them this week.”
Kirk Herbstreit agrees, saying “I think that’s fair. I don’t think they should be ranked after that performance.” pic.twitter.com/QlE3XU5byC
Alabama is likely to remain in the AP poll, but the drop will be significant
Not that the AP Poll means much anymore, particularly in early September, but it's just another one of those signs that things are a lot different in Tuscaloosa now.
Since debuting at No. 24 in the 2008 AP Poll, Alabama hasn't been ranked lower than No. 17. Alabama dropped to No. 17 in 2010 following the Iron Bowl loss to Auburn, its third of that regular season. The Tide finished at No. 17 last season after losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Alabama opened the 2025 season ranked No. 8, which at the time felt low as AP poll voters took a wait-and-see approach with DeBoer's team this season. Turns out it was entirely too high.
The Week 2 AP Poll will be released around Noon ET today, and Alabama's fate will be revealed. While it will hold no significance on what the team does from here, it could be more damaging to the program's perception nationally.
With how Alabama played against Florida State, I'm not sure they deserve to be ranked. I suspect they still will be, but if AP voters want to send a statement, maybe it's something this team will finally listen to.