Alabama Crimson Tide can add the Associated Press to its list of bulletin board material after release of preseason Top-25 poll
The Alabama Crimson Tide has heard all the noise about their falloff this offseason, and they are using it as fuel. Well, the official AP ranking just dropped ahead of the regular season, and it’s safe to say Alabama has even more motivation.
The AP Top-25 preseason poll is officially here, and it’s not a very good look for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama ranks 13th, marking the program’s lowest preseason ranking since 2008. For 18 years, the Crimson Tide had been ranked inside the top 10 in every preseason AP poll. That streak is officially snapped.
So why the drop? A lot of it comes down to uncertainty, and apparently the AP voters not being very bullish on Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide are still in the middle of a quarterback battle, although it’s definitely leaning, if not trending, in the direction of Keylon Russell being the starter. There’s also significant turnover along the offensive line and the defensive front seven in general.
Key Alabama portal additions
- LB Caleb Woodson
- WR Noah Rodgers
- DL Devan Thompkins
Alabama deserves better than No. 13
Do I think Alabama is the 13th-best team in the country? Absolutely not. The Crimson Tide should very well be inside the top 10.
I’d put them ahead of Oklahoma, a team they just beat in the CFP. I would definitely put them ahead of LSU. And then we can talk about Ole Miss with Trinidad Chambliss and all the different pieces the Rebels have assembled, but Pete Golding is going into his first full year as head coach at Ole Miss. So I’m not exactly sure the teams ranked in front of Alabama are actually better than Alabama.
But they rank 13th nonetheless.
DeBoer’s approach is the right one
As DeBoer said at the SEC Media Days, and then again when fall camp started, he didn’t say they’re ignoring the noise. He said they’ve heard it. They’re taking it into account and using it as motivation. I for one happen to think that is the perfect approach for this team.
Everyone’s saying this isn’t the Alabama of old. Nobody’s worried about the Crimson Tide. They were picked to finish sixth in the SEC when we were there at the SEC Media Days. So the pundits and the poll makers aren’t giving Alabama much respect heading into the season.
The bottom line is that none of it matters when they spot that ball on Sept. 5 against East Carolina, and Alabama kicks off the regular season.
