Ohio State’s stumble against USC shook up the AP Top 25 in a way that matters for Alabama, even if the poll itself won’t be around for long. The Buckeyes dropped out of the Top 10, the Crimson Tide climbed one spot to No. 9, and with the first College Football Playoff rankings set for Tuesday, this week’s AP list is about to become a short-lived snapshot.
What really counts for Alabama is not the number next to its name, but the shape of its resume heading into the final stretch. The road ahead starts Saturday at LSU, where Alabama has opened as a small underdog.
That game is the clearest route into the playoff picture. A loss in Baton Rouge would not automatically end the Tide’s hopes, but getting in at 9-3 would require a lot of help elsewhere and a few of Alabama’s earlier opponents to keep winning so the resume keeps getting stronger.
The AP Poll handed Alabama a useful boost anyway.
South Carolina’s climb back into the rankings gives the Tide another ranked win to lean on. After opening 2-3, the Gamecocks have won three straight, including road victories at Florida and Oklahoma and a home win over Tennessee. That surge pushed South Carolina to No. 23 in the AP Top 25.
That’s important because Alabama beat South Carolina 49-18 at the end of September. With South Carolina back in the poll, Alabama now has ranked wins over No.
8 Kentucky and No. 23 South Carolina.
Its two losses came against No. 2 Georgia and No.
16 Tennessee.
On paper, that gives Alabama what the Associated Press sees as the strongest two-loss resume. That could become a major talking point if the season ends with a pileup of three-loss teams fighting for the final playoff spots.
Still, Kalen DeBoer would rather not leave anything to chance. A win at LSU would put Alabama in far better shape and keep the Tide in control of its own path. It won’t come easy, though, especially in Death Valley.
DeBoer has already shown he can win in tough road settings. Alabama beat LSU in Baton Rouge two years ago. Last season, the Tide won road games at Georgia, Missouri and Auburn in the regular season before beating Oklahoma in Norman in the College Football Playoff.
This season, Alabama has already picked up road wins at Kentucky and Mississippi State. The victory in Lexington looks even stronger now with Kentucky sitting at No. 8 after winning every other game.
So the stage is set for a high-pressure Saturday. Both teams need the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Alabama will have to play better than it has over the past month to pull off the road upset.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got An Early Reality Check For LSU Showdown
The first betting line for Alabamas Week 10 trip to LSU already says plenty about how close this rivalry matchup is expected to be. Both teams are ranked, both are sitting on similar records, and both come in off bye weeks, which only adds to the sense that this one could carry real weight in the College Football Playoff race and the SEC title picture.
Even with Alabama holding a 58-27-5 edge in the series and a three-game winning streak in the rivalry, the opening number has LSU favored by 4 points. For a game this early on the 2026 schedule, it is a reminder that the Tigers are expected to bring plenty of punch at home, and that Alabama may already have a little extra motivation as the matchup starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Keeps Building An All Time Case Alabama Fans Love
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The touchdown was Henrys 40th rushing score with two different franchises, putting him alongside Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk in that class, according to NFL and ESPN Insights. It also gave him 136 career touchdowns, tying Faulk for seventh-most in NFL history, another reminder that Henrys place in the record book is no longer a future conversation but an ongoing one. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Added More Pressure To A Huge Stretch For Nate Oats
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The timing matters because the pressure around Alabama is only growing. The Tide opened as a 3.5-point underdog against LSU before the line swung heavily in the Tigers favor, and there are always ripple effects around recruiting when coaching changes hit elsewhere, including Florida State moving on from Mike Norvell. Even with Alabama soccers regular-season finale loss to Mississippi State, the broader athletic department remains in the spotlight, and Oats now has another prized recruit attached to a stretch where every result seems to carry extra weight. [Read more 🡒]