Alabama’s bye week arrives with a jolt of good news in the numbers.
After a 31-20 comeback win over Texas A&M in Week 8, the Crimson Tide climbed to No. 7 in ESPN’s SP+ rankings, jumping five spots from the previous week. Alabama’s overall SP+ rating sits at 20.9, up from 18.5, and the Tide now trail only Georgia and LSU among SEC teams in the metric.
The rise comes after Alabama steadied itself against the Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Keelon Russell threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and finished 19 of 30 for 311 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
The defense held Texas A&M scoreless after the opening drive of the second half produced three points, and Caleb Woodson led the way with five tackles. JUCO transfer defensive lineman Fatutoa Henry added two important sacks on Marcel Reed in the second half.
That win snapped Alabama’s two-game skid after losses to Georgia and Tennessee, and it pushed the Crimson Tide to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play. The program also rose three spots to No. 10 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.
SP+ breaks Alabama down as a team with a strong offensive profile and a defense trending upward. The Crimson Tide are No. 8 nationally on offense at 37.2, up five spots, and No. 14 on defense at 16.6, which is nine spots better than before the Texas A&M game. Special teams remains the outlier, with Alabama at 0.3 and No. 40 nationally after a 15-spot drop.
Across the SEC, Alabama’s 20.9 rating ranks behind Georgia’s 27.1 and LSU’s 25.2. LSU is next on the schedule, with the Tigers sitting at 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference and ranked No. 13 in the Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the AP Top 25. The meeting is set for Nov. 7 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
ESPN’s résumé SP+ and strength of schedule numbers also place Alabama near the top of the national picture. The Crimson Tide are No. 9 in strength of schedule, with an overall rating of 0.812. ESPN explains that the metric is based on the expected win percentage an average top-five team would produce against a given schedule, and that a lower expected win percentage means a tougher slate.
Here’s how the SEC stacks up in ESPN SP+, with Alabama right near the top of the league:
- Georgia Bulldogs - 27.1
- LSU Tigers - 25.2
- Alabama Crimson Tide - 20.9
- Texas Longhorns - 20.4
- Tennessee Volunteers - 17.9
- Ole Miss Rebels - 14.7
- Missouri Tigers - 14.2
- South Carolina Gamecocks - 11.0
T-9. Florida Gators - 10.6
T-9. Kentucky Wildcats - 10.6
- Oklahoma Sooners - 10.3
- Texas A&M Aggies - 9.7
- Auburn Tigers - 6.5
- Mississippi State Bulldogs - 6.0
- Arkansas Razorbacks - -0.4
- Vanderbilt Commodores - -1.4
Alabama’s remaining 2026 schedule begins with the LSU trip, followed by a visit to Vanderbilt on Nov. 14, a home game against Chattanooga on Nov. 21, and the Iron Bowl against Auburn on Nov. 28.
In Other News...
Alabama Still Has One Noah Rogers Decision Hanging Over The Offense
Noah Rogers has been back in the mix since Week 4, but Alabama still has not fully unlocked what it wants from the NC State transfer. A knee injury in spring practice slowed his rollout, and while the staff has clearly been interested in finding more room for him on offense, the challenge has been fitting him into an already crowded rotation without pulling someone else off the field.
Kalen DeBoer has said the Tide would like to involve Rogers more, which leaves this as more than a simple health update. It is a usage question now, and one that will keep lingering as Alabama sorts out how to balance its personnel. Elsewhere around the program, sophomore guard Amari Allen is entering the year with some real buzz after being named preseason All-SEC first team by league coaches following a strong freshman season and a solid preseason showing. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With DeBoer Taking A Very Different Approach
The Alabama-LSU matchup on Nov. 7 already carried plenty of weight, but Lane Kiffin helped sharpen the edge by calling out the SECs decision to put the game in an afternoon window and suggesting the schedule favors LSU. His comments added another layer to a rivalry that rarely needs much help getting attention, especially with both programs entering a stretch where every move feels magnified.
Kalen DeBoer, meanwhile, has taken a noticeably different tack in the buildup, keeping the focus on Alabama rather than joining the public back-and-forth. With LSU dealing with injuries and the stakes obvious for the Crimson Tide, the game sets up as one of those November tests that can reshape the conversation around Alabama almost immediately, depending on how it plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Just Landed In An Alabama Scenario Fans Will Hate
Kalen DeBoer is already getting pulled into the kind of rumor mill Alabama fans never want to see around a coach who is still settling in. After signing a long-term deal with the Crimson Tide, DeBoer has nevertheless surfaced as a name to watch if USC ever decides to make a change with Lincoln Riley, whose tenure in Los Angeles has yet to produce a national championship or a College Football Playoff berth.
For Alabama, the concern is obvious: whenever a coach starts showing up on another blue-bloods wish list, the speculation follows. DeBoers contract was built to give the Tide stability, but the USC angle keeps his name in circulation for a job that would be hard for any coach to ignore, and it leaves Alabama fans waiting to see whether the noise fades or grows louder. [Read more 🡒]