The Alabama Crimson Tide's hopes for the 2026 College Football season rest entirely with Keelon Russell's ability to develop under center. At Mullet A-Day this past Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Russell looked like a star, but was that the result of a lowered defensive standard, a microcosm of the "Bama Standard" slipping across the board?
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford predicted that Alabama may have trouble with at least five SEC teams -- the Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, and LSU Tigers -- en route to a worst-case scenario 7-5 finish and an almost certain firing for Kalen DeBoer. So maybe.
Hell, even the Vanderbilt Commodores, the perpetual SEC cellar-dwellers from Nashville, have split their last two games against the Tide and got a mention from Crawford here for their upcoming matchup at FirstBank Stadium. It makes sense, too, since Alabama lost its last game in the Music City, and the No. 1 QB recruit in the country in the 2026 class, Jared Curtis, will be the Dores' QB1.
"The Crimson Tide's not going to lose at home to Florida State. It won't happen, not with the Seminoles' current roster worries offensively. There's a chance the SEC slate will not be as favorable, however. South Carolina has nearly clipped Alabama in consecutive seasons, and there are contests against Georgia, at Tennessee, Texas A&M, at LSU and Auburn that are not automatic. Heck, you have to throw the road game at Vanderbilt in that category, too," Crawford wrote.
Auburn being given a chance to win the Iron Bowl on the road is harbinger of doom for Alabama
That Alex Golesh's Tigers are being given a serious chance to upset the Crimson Tide on the road this November is a testament to how bad things look in Tuscaloosa this coming fall. The last time Auburn even won an Iron Bowl in enemy territory was the 2010 "Cam-back" game.
It's understandable to think that CFP teams like Georgia or A&M could be trouble for Alabama. Ditto for road matchups on Rocky Top and in Death Valley. But the Iron Bowl? Within the friendly confines of BDS?
There's only so many ways to say that this Crimson Tide team is cooked before even stepping foot on the field this season.