In the long months between a 9-4 season and 2025's opening Saturday. Alabama Crimson Tide fans believed three easy wins would be a preamble to championship contention. We could not have been more wrong. Coaches and players may believe that Alabama is a true championship contender, but no proof has been given. Such proof will not come in Week 3 either.
The Wisconsin Badgers might be a better team than the almost three touchdown point spread indicates. Or the Badgers might be a team short in enough weapons to prevent an Alabama blowout win. Either way, Saturday's game will tell us nothing about Alabama's championship potential.
ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) being bullish about the Alabama Crimson Tide means little. No model has enough data yet. Many in the national sports media are locked in on doubting Alabama. To an extent, that is driven by Alabama being the team that the majority of college football fans most want to lose.
It can be reasonably believed that the Alabama Crimson Tide roster is one of the most talented in college football. But talent can be a wasted commodity without quality coaching and without a championship mindset among players. Even a blowout win over Wisconsin will not prove Alabama has the coaching skill and player mindset to be a contender.
Challenge after challenge for the Alabama Crimson Tide
In college football's Week 5, serious tests begin with the Georgia Bulldogs. Except for Eastern Illinois in November, Alabama will face challenge after challenge. Using Jeff Sagarin's computer rankings, Alabama will play six teams ranked inside college football's top 19 teams. A seventh, the Vanderbilt Commodores are not far behind at No. 31. ESPN calculates it as college football's eighth-toughest remaining schedule.
Serious trials begin in less than three weeks for an Alabama team best described by one of Nick Saban's favorite phrases, 'a work in progress.' Even the most optimistic Alabama Crimson Tide fan must admit that no one can predict the outcome.