Alabama’s first two games of the 2026 season bring very different kinds of tests, but neither one looks like a walkover.
East Carolina is the one that could have been easy to dismiss. Instead, the Pirates deserve a closer look.
ESPN’s preseason FPI has them at No. 68, ahead of Power Four programs like Purdue, Iowa State, and Syracuse. The teams ranked just above and below that range include Northwestern, Maryland, Cal, Minnesota, UCLA, Michigan State, West Virginia, and Rutgers.
Alabama should be expected to handle all of them, but East Carolina is clearly not a soft landing.
That makes some sense when you look back at what the Pirates did last year. They finished with nine wins and beat Pitt in the Military Bowl.
But the 2026 version is a different puzzle entirely after losing 21 starters. Two transfer quarterbacks are battling for the job, and last season’s top-25 passing offense does not carry much weight anymore.
Alabama’s trip to Lexington in Week 2 brings a different kind of conversation. Kentucky head coach Will Stein will already be 1-0 after the Wildcats open with a win over Youngstown State, and that will be his first victory as a head coach. Even so, the expectation is that Kentucky’s schedule will leave Stein with a losing record in his first season.
Stein’s work as Oregon’s offensive coordinator has helped Kentucky fans get past the fact that he played at Louisville, and the buzz around the program is real enough that some are picking an upset over Alabama. The Wildcats’ portal-heavy offense should be better, and Tennessee transfer Lance Heard gives the offensive line a major lift. By Week 2, the trenches may not belong to either side, and Kentucky’s speed at wide receiver gives it some pop.
Still, the roster is not loaded with elite talent. It is good enough to threaten a stronger team in Lexington, just not good enough to do it on Sept.
- Alabama may not look finished yet, and the game could be ugly at times, but the Crimson Tide should have the better defense and the better starting quarterback.
And with Alabama having lost only once in Lexington since 1922, that streak is not expected to change in 2026.
Alabama Football - East Carolina Game Prediction
Alabama Crimson Tide 38 - East Carolina 10
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