Alabama drops to lowest ranking in nearly two decades

The Alabama Crimson Tide are beginning to enterprise into uncharted territory. At the very least for them.

The Crimson Tide fell all the best way all the way down to No. 21 on this week’s AP Ballot following an unpleasant Week 1 loss to Florida State, making it this system’s lowest ranking in nearly two decades.

It’s important to go all the best way again to the beginning of the Nick Saban period to seek out the final time Alabama was ranked this low nationally. The Crimson Tide completed the 2007 unranked, after which opened 2008 with the No. 24 rating within the nation. They jumped as much as No. 13 the next week and didn’t go away the highest 20 till this newest rating.

That could be a stretch of 16 years persistently within the high 20.

The Crimson Tide nonetheless stay ranked — for now — and have been for 280 consecutive polls. However yet one more ugly loss — or any loss normally — within the coming weeks might put that streak in critical jeopardy. 

It additionally must be in jeopardy.

As unhealthy as Saturday’s recreation towards Florida State was, it was not a completely out-of-nowhere efficiency. 

With that loss, Alabama is simply 5-5 in its previous 10 video games going again to the 2024 season, with three losses to unranked opponents in that stretch of video games. Nearly every other program would have a tough time nonetheless discovering a option to crack the rankings, however Alabama’s previous success and repute are all the time going to hold a variety of weight within the eyes of voters. 

Alabama has a really winnable recreation at house this Saturday towards Louisiana-Monroe, earlier than a tricky stretch of video games towards Wisconsin, No. 4 Georgia and a Vanderbilt staff that upset Alabama a 12 months in the past. 

If it drops one or two of these video games it might convey its stretch of consecutive ballot appearances to an finish, and solely enhance the stress on second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.