Alabama won’t be on the field in Week 9, and that pause arrives with the Crimson Tide sitting in a strong spot after a 31-20 win over Texas A&M at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Kalen DeBoer’s team heads into its only bye of the 2026 regular season at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play, ranked No. 10 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. The break also gives Alabama a little breathing room before a major road test against No.
13 LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Nov. 7.
The off week comes at a useful time for a roster that has taken on some injury hits. Ryan Coleman-Williams has now missed the last two games after arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a meniscus injury. On the offensive line, center Racin Delgatty has also been out for the last two games with a lower-leg injury.
Left guard William Sanders, who had started all eight games, went down with a lower-leg injury against Texas A&M and, according to DeBoer after the game, is expected to miss at least two weeks.
Alabama also played without EJ Crowell and Zabien Brown against Texas A&M after both were ruled out following lower-leg injuries suffered a week earlier at Tennessee. Crowell has 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season.
The Crimson Tide are one of six SEC teams off in Week 9. The others are No.
8 Kentucky, No. 13 LSU, No.
17 Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.
Here’s Alabama’s 2026 schedule so far:
Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers (L, 26-10)
Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies (W, 31-20)
Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 6-2 overall, 4-2 SEC.
In Other News...
Former Alabama Rusher Sparks New Debate After Another Career Twist
Noah Carters path has taken another sharp turn, and it leaves one more question hanging over a career that has already changed directions once. The former Alabama edge rusher, who transferred to Georgia Tech, was removed from the Yellow Jackets football program after appearing in four games this season and still managing three sacks despite dealing with injury issues.
For Alabama fans who watched him leave and then keep producing elsewhere, the latest development adds another layer to an already unusual story. Georgia Tech has not offered an official reason for the dismissal, so for now Carters next step is unclear, and the situation only deepens the debate around a player whose talent has never been in doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Recruiting Has An Early Problem Fans Will Notice
Alabamas 2027 recruiting class is off to a slower start than fans are used to seeing, with ESPN currently ranking it 32nd nationally. For a program that measures itself against national title standards, that is a number that stands out, even this far from signing day. The Tide do already have two quarterback commitments in Elijah Haven and Trent Seaborn, both of whom have put up strong high school production and give the class an important foundation.
The bigger concern is what comes next, because Alabama has to keep building around that early quarterback start if it wants to stay in the championship conversation down the road. A class sitting outside the usual elite tier is not where the Crimson Tide want to be, especially with the rest of the country continuing to push hard on the recruiting trail. There is plenty of time to climb, but this is the kind of early marker fans will notice and monitor closely. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Bye Week Suddenly Comes With Real Stakes For The Tide
Alabamas open date arrives with more than just a chance to catch its breath. With injuries piling up around key players, the bye week gives the staff a little time to reset, get healthier and take stock of where the Tide stand in a conference race that is still very much alive. It also comes at a moment when the schedule has paused just enough for the rest of the SEC to keep shaping Alabamas path.
The bigger picture is what makes this weekend matter. Results elsewhere in the league could alter Alabamas route to the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff, turning a quiet Saturday into a scoreboard-watching exercise with real consequences. And beyond the standings, there is already outside chatter about Kalen DeBoer and possible coaching interest from USC, another reminder that even during a bye week, the conversation around Alabama rarely stays still for long. [Read more 🡒]