Alabama has landed at No. 6 in Brian Fremeau’s latest FEI Ratings, which makes the Crimson Tide the SEC’s No. 2 team in the model behind only Georgia.
That’s the headline Crimson Tide fans will care about most, but the bigger picture is just as encouraging for Alabama: Fremeau’s system gives the Tide a Strength of Record ranging from No. 1 to No. 4, even though its Strength of Schedule swings widely from No. 4 to No. 54. With Week 3 still a thin slice of the season, the numbers are early - but they still point to Alabama sitting in a strong spot.
Georgia checks in at No. 1 nationally in the FEI Ratings, though the Bulldogs’ weak schedule has dragged their Strength of Record down from No. 21 to No. 27. Fremeau’s projection says Georgia’s Strength of Schedule is expected to land between No. 110 and No. 113, so the Bulldogs will need to keep winning convincingly to hold that top spot.
The rest of the SEC is packed tightly behind the top two. Texas comes in at No. 7, followed by Ole Miss at No.
12, Tennessee at No. 13, Texas A&M at No.
14, Oklahoma at No. 16, LSU at No.
20, Florida at No. 24, Mississippi State at No.
25, South Carolina at No. 28, Missouri at No.
29, Auburn at No. 31, Kentucky at No.
36, Vanderbilt at No. 38 and Arkansas at No. 63.
Fremeau’s ratings are opponent-adjusted, and his offensive and defensive efficiency numbers are among the most respected in the business. On offense, Georgia sits at No. 2 nationally, followed by Ole Miss at No. 3 and Alabama at No.
- Tennessee is No.
9, Mississippi State No. 12, Texas No.
18, Florida No. 19, Vanderbilt No. 20 and Texas A&M No.
Further down the offensive list, LSU is No. 36, Auburn No.
42, South Carolina No. 46, Arkansas No.
40, Missouri No. 49, Oklahoma No. 51 and Kentucky No.
Defensively, Georgia is No. 4, Texas No.
5, Oklahoma No. 7 and Alabama No. 9.
LSU follows at No. 11, Missouri is No.
16, Texas A&M No. 18, Kentucky No.
22, South Carolina No. 24, Tennessee No.
26, Auburn No. 30, Ole Miss No.
42, Mississippi State No. 44, Florida No.
48, Vanderbilt No. 67 and Arkansas No. 88.
The model can only work with probabilities, and some variables can’t be projected. Even so, it still gives a useful snapshot of where teams stand.
In Fremeau’s forecast, Alabama is projected to beat South Carolina 33 - 18. Bill Connelly has the Crimson Tide winning 30-21, while Jeff Sagarin projects Alabama 35 - South Carolina 24.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Needs More From A Freshman In A Tough SEC Spot
Alabamas defensive front has taken a hit heading into its matchup with South Carolina, with edge defenders Justin Hill and Desmond Umeozulu both listed out after injuries in the previous game. Both are expected to miss multiple games, which forces the Crimson Tide to adjust quickly in a part of the defense that usually depends on rotation and depth to keep pressure coming off the edge.
That opens the door for freshman Xavier Griffin to see a much larger role than Alabama likely planned this early in the season. The coaching staff may also lean more on Caleb Woodson as a pass rusher while sorting through the depth chart, and how those pieces fit together could matter immediately in a tough SEC spot where Alabama cannot afford to lose much disruption up front. [Read more 🡒]
Why Alabama Is Betting On Marshall Pritchetts Untapped Potential
Marshall Pritchetts path to Alabama has already been anything but ordinary. He left South Carolina for a Georgia boarding school at 15 to improve his recruiting profile, then reclassified to give himself an extra year of eligibility, a move that opened the door for him to concentrate on receiver and turn more college programs his way.
Now working as a tight end for Alabama, Pritchett is trying to turn that long runway into real production. After dealing with injuries, he enters this next stretch with the kind of untapped potential that can make a staff patient, but also with the pressure that comes with needing to show it at the college level. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Turn Ryan Grubb Into A Bigger Problem Before South Carolina
Ryan Grubbs comments about Alabama fans booing the team have landed in a place every coach tries to avoid, with the reaction now stretching well beyond the usual game-week grumbling. The criticism has come from supporters and even a former Alabama quarterback, a reminder that in Tuscaloosa, public remarks about the fan base can turn a routine frustration into a bigger conversation fast.
As the Crimson Tide try to keep their attention on South Carolina, Grubbs remarks have become an extra layer of noise around a team already trying to steady itself. The suggestion now is that he may regret saying what he said, but the larger issue is simpler for Alabama: the focus has shifted from the next opponent to how one of the staffs most visible voices handled the pressure of the moment. [Read more 🡒]