You won't believe how low one delusional AP voter ranked Alabama in preseason poll

Perhaps the best part of the preseason AP Poll, which on the surface is totally meaningless in the grand scheme of the college football season, is that the ballots are made public, and fans can shame the ridiculous opinions of voters.

When all the votes were tallied, Alabama came in at No. 8. That spot is too low - just ask Paul Finebaum - but it's hard to argue with a more cautious, wait-and-see approach for Kalen DeBoer's Alabama Crimson Tide team in 2025.

The general consensus is that Alabama will be much improved this season, but the fact remains that they did lose four games last season and finished the year ranked No. 17 in the final AP Poll. But even the most ardent of the anti-Alabama crowd generally believes this will be a playoff team in 2025.

If you discount one ballot, the lowest Alabama was ranked by an AP voter was No. 13 in a ballot cast by CBS Austin's Bob Ballou.

But we're not going to discount that one ballot. One ballot that was cast out of nothing more than a vendetta against the Crimson Tide. One that ranked Alabama a full 10 spots lower than Ballou.

Former Florida Gator Kevin Carter ranked Alabama No. 23

14-year NFL veteran and former Florida Gator Kevin Carter ranked Alabama at No. 23 in his AP ballot. A ranking so low it should be disqualifying. It's not because Carter actually believes that the likes of Boise State, Illinois, Iowa State, Baylor, and USC are better football teams than Alabama; it's a vote made out of pure spite.

It doesn't take long to figure out why. Carter played at Florida from 1991-1994, during an era in which the Gators and the Crimson Tide were the two elite programs in the SEC. Gene Stallings' Alabama met Steve Spurrier and Florida in three consecutive SEC Championship Games from 1992-1994 during Carter's time in Gainesville.

While Florida got the better of Alabama in the 1993 and 1994 matchups, the most famous of those games occurred in 1992 in the inaugural SEC Championship Game. A fourth-quarter pick-six by Antonio Langham propelled Alabama to a 28-21 win over Florida to capture the SEC Title, ultimately catapulting the Tide to the National Championship Game, where they thumped Miami 34-13.

Carter has probably been miserable throughout the Nick Saban era, and is one of many in the media who have prayed on Alabama's downfall, assuming last season's slip-up was just the beginning of the Tide's slide.

Unfortunately for him and many others, last season is going to ultimately be remembered as just a blip on the radar.