Alabama’s climb in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll kept rolling Monday, with Nate Oats’ team moving up two spots to No. 16 after a 2-0 start to the 2026-27 season.
The Crimson Tide picked up the rise after opening with double-digit wins over Sam Houston and Arkansas State. Alabama sits just behind UCLA at No. 15 and just ahead of Texas Tech at No. 17 in the new rankings.
The top of the poll stayed crowded with familiar names. Florida held No. 1, followed by Duke, Illinois, UConn and Michigan State.
Texas checked in at No. 7, while Tennessee landed at No. 9.
Alabama is the fourth-highest ranked SEC team in the poll behind Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
The SEC placed six teams in the Coaches Poll. Vanderbilt came in at No. 19 and Arkansas, coached by John Calipari, followed at No.
- Kentucky, Texas A&M, Missouri and LSU were among the teams receiving votes.
Alabama’s most recent win came against Arkansas State, a 101-86 result that featured a big all-around night from sophomore forward Amari Allen. He posted 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for a triple-double.
Freshman Qayden Samuels led the scoring with 17 points, while Boise State transfer Drew Fielder added 16. Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison finished with 14, and freshman forward Terris Bouie scored 12.
The Tide return to action Monday against Oakland at Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Here’s a look at the full top 25 in Monday’s Coaches Poll:
- Florida
- Duke
- Illinois
- UConn
- Michigan State
- Virginia
- Texas
- Houston
- Tennessee
- Louisville
- Arizona
- Gonzaga
- St.
John’s
14.
Kansas
15.
UCLA
16.
Alabama
17.
Texas Tech
18.
Miami (FL)
19.
Vanderbilt
20.
Arkansas
21.
Michigan
22.
USC
23.
Iowa State
24.
Nebraska
25.
BYU
Kentucky and Purdue dropped out of the rankings. Kentucky received 101 votes, while Purdue got 12.
Alabama’s upcoming schedule includes Seton Hall on Nov. 13, Baylor in Las Vegas on Nov.
24, Miami on Dec. 2, Houston in New York on Dec. 8, and St.
John’s in Birmingham on Dec. 12.
The SEC slate begins Jan. 2 at Mississippi State, and the regular season closes March 6 at Auburn.
In Other News...
Alabama May Be Giving Austin Mack A Huge Chance At Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury has opened the door for Austin Mack, and Alabama appears willing to let the former five-star recruit take some meaningful snaps against Vanderbilt. With Russell banged up, head coach Kalen DeBoer said Mack could see the field in an effort to protect the starter for the games ahead, giving the Crimson Tide a chance to see what they have in a quarterback who has spent most of his time waiting behind the scenes.
For Mack, the timing matters. He has had limited playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa, but this could be the kind of opportunity that changes the conversation around his future, especially with a possible transfer in the background. Vanderbilt may not be the biggest stage on Alabamas schedule, but it could be a valuable one for a quarterback still trying to show he can handle real game action. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Defensive Front Just Got A Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
Devan Thompkins gave Alabama a timely jolt in the win at LSU, finishing with two sacks and snapping a drought that had stretched back to Week 3. It was the kind of interior push the Crimson Tide have been trying to rediscover, and it came in a game where the defense as a whole finally looked disruptive again, piling up four sacks for its best total since Week 5.
Terrance Greens return from injury helped make that happen. He made his presence felt with a sack of his own and steady work against the run, giving Alabamas defensive front a more complete look and drawing praise from the coaching staff for the way he changed the lines energy. For a unit that has been searching for consistency up front, Greens impact may have been just as important as the numbers beside Thompkins name. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Forced A Playoff Ranking Debate Fans Will Obsess Over
Alabamas win over LSU has done more than pad the rsum in November. It has reopened the kind of playoff-rankings debate that gets college football fans arguing all week, with analysts split on where the Crimson Tide should land when the next set of rankings comes out. Some see the victory as the kind of statement that can push Alabama as high as No. 3 or No. 4, while others think the committee could still leave the Tide closer to the middle of the top 10.
The messier part is what it means for Tennessee, because the comparison between the two teams is now impossible to ignore. Head-to-head results and strength of schedule both have a way of complicating the conversation, and Alabamas latest win only sharpened the question of how much weight the committee will give each factor. However it shakes out, this is the sort of ranking fight that could linger well beyond Tuesday night. [Read more 🡒]