There wasn't much chaos ahead of Alabama this past weekend in the polls. But the AP Poll still took the first step toward correcting a major mistake with the Crimson Tide in the aftermath of Alabama's 48-10 win over East Carolina.
Alabama moved up from No. 13 to open the season to No. 12 ahead of Week 2, leapfrogging a Texas Tech team that defeated Abilene Christian in its season opener.
Alabama came into the season underrated, and they remain underrated. But moving up to No. 12 is a small step forward, as Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will look to get into the Top 10 over the next week or two, with the schedule gradually beginning to get more difficult.
The full AP Poll:
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/89dk3PyWTC pic.twitter.com/aOYdirpRkM
— On3 (@On3) September 8, 2026
Alabama moves up one spot to No. 12 in this week's AP Poll
The biggest dropper of the week was Michigan, which went from No. 16 to unranked after escaping Western Michigan thanks to an imaginary game clock and a Hail Mary.
Oregon moved back four spots from No. 2 to No. 6 after narrowly escaping with a win over Boise State. The Ducks continue to get the benefit of the doubt when the Crimson Tide does not. While a four-spot drop is steep for a win, Oregon looked less than impressive in the opener and had serious flaws on paper coming into the season. The Ducks were not dismissed in the same way Alabama was for a similar loss in the College Football Playoff last year to Indiana. Alabama lost by 35 in the Rose Bowl, and Oregon was thumped by 34 in the semifinals.
Speaking of Indiana, the Hoosiers moved up a spot despite looking less than impressive in their opener, but Curg Cignetti's team will get it figured out soon enough. Look at their rushing output against North Texas, though, and you'll get a good example of why you shouldn't freak out over your offensive line's performance in Week1. Everyone has a lot of improving to do.
LSU is the biggest mover in the SEC, up from No. 11 to No. 8 after a bludgeoning of Dabo Swinney's Clemson. The Tigers looked formidable, but that game said a lot more about the ACC's Tigers than the SEC's.
Auburn was in the other receiving votes mix this week with two points after a one-point win over Baylor in Atlanta. It goes to show you that there's a lot of final score watching and not a lot of ball watching with these pollsters from week to week. You should never apologize for a win, but maybe Auburn should make an exception.
As for Alabama, the Crimson Tide will look to build off a good start to the season by taking down Kentucky on the road this weekend in Lexington. A road SEC win, especially if it comes in impressive fashion, could book the Tide's ticket into the Top 10 where they belong.
Any win will do, especially this early in the season when you're still working out a whole lot of kinks.
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