As many expected heading into the 2026 college football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide are off to a 4-0 start following wins over East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State and South Carolina.
What many may not have expected has been how impressive Alabama has looked, particularly on offense under first-year starting quarterback Keelon Russell and a strong ensemble cast.
Alabama (4-0 overall, 2-0 SEC) enters Week 5 ranked 24th nationally in total offense with an average of 471.5 yards per game. The Crimson Tide are averaging 48 points per game, which ranks fourth best in the country and trails only Georgia, Florida and Miami.
The rushing game has been better. Alabama is averaging 188.2 yards per game, compared to last season's 104.1 average that
was essentially last in the SEC.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack's unit ranks 47th in total defense with 1,260 yards allowed, or 315.2 per contest. Alabama, however, leads the nation in one unique category: interceptions returned for touchdowns. The Crimson Tide's three pick sixes are already as many as they had the entire 2025 season.
Alabama is No. 7 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.
The schedule won't be easy for the Tide and coach Kalen DeBoer, beginning with Saturday's top-25 showdown against the 16th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville.
No. 2 Georgia awaits Alabama in Week 6, followed by the annual Third Saturday in October matchup with rival Tennessee in Knoxville. Texas A&M visits Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 24 before the Crimson Tide visit LSU after a bye on Nov. 7.
In the meantime, here's where national outlets see Alabama in the College Football Playoff hunt through the first four weeks of 2026.
Alabama football gets new opponent in ESPN Week 5 CFP projections
ESPN analysts Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura both have the Crimson Tide earning an at-large berth in the playoff as the No. 7 seed. The only difference of opinion is who Alabama will face.
Bonagura sees Alabama hosting the Utah Utes (4-0) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the No. 7 vs. 10 seed matchup on Dec. 18 or 19. Schlabach sees the game Tide welcoming the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Utah is No. 13 in the Coaches Poll while Iowa is No. 14 in the AP Top 25.
Both ESPN prognosticators see the Crimson Tide advancing to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for a matchup against either Georgia or Notre Dame as the pair's projected No. 2 seed.
CBS Sports offers new CFP projection for Alabama football after 4-0 start
Longtime college football analyst and author John Talty has the Crimson Tide as the No. 7 seed in CBS Sports' updated playoff outlook, as well. Alabama was a No. 9 seed in CBS Sports' projections prior to its 31-point win over South Carolina in Week 4.
Similar to Schlabach, Talty projects a first-round matchup between Alabama and Iowa at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
He said of the Crimson Tide entering Week 5:
"Alabama's commitment to Keelon Russell, rather than pursuing a transfer quarterback, continues to look better and better. The Crimson Tide blew out South Carolina last weekend and look to be in a good rhythm headed into a tough road game at Mississippi State this weekend. I can't wait to watch Russell versus Kamario Taylor."
'College GameDay' announces Week 5 location, ditching SEC for Big Ten
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) September 30, 2026
📸 Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect https://t.co/PGnH5SRY1x pic.twitter.com/FWjbc5Tam1
USA TODAY Sports sees Alabama hosting Big Ten power in College Football Playoff
In what would be a first in school history, USA TODAY Sports' Week 5 CFP predictions have the Crimson Tide hosting the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the playoff.
USA TODAY analyst Erick Smith sees Alabama earning an at-large berth as the No. 8 seed and Oregon (3-1) as the No. 9 seed following strong victories by both teams in Week 4.
Alabama dominated South Carolina in a 49-18 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Oregon went to Southern California and handed the Trojans their latest loss in a big game under Lincoln Riley, 41-27, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
That was despite the Ducks being without starting quarterback Dante Moore for much of the night following a vicious hit by Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II. Oregon is ranked No. 15 in the Coaches Poll.
All-SEC College Football Playoff matchup? The Athletic makes prediction for Alabama
Over at The Athletic, Scott Dochterman's latest playoff projections (subscription required for full access) have Alabama welcoming the Ole Miss Rebels (3-1) to Bryant-Denny Stadium for a first-round game. Ole Miss fell six spots in the Coaches Poll after a 52-28 loss to Florida in Week 4.
As the No. 6 vs. 11 seed matchup, the winner of Alabama-Ole Miss would meet projected No. 3 seed Ohio State in one of the four quarterfinal sites, according to The Athletic's outlook.
Ohio State (3-1) is No. 5 in this week's AP Top 25 poll and No. 6 in the Coaches Poll.
Sports Illustrated welcomes Alabama football to CFP party in updated projections
After previously including the Crimson Tide among his first four out, longtime college football analyst Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated has Alabama as the No. 10 seed in the playoff.
Alabama's opponent, in Fischer's way-too-early projections, is the BYU Cougars (3-0) at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. As things stand now, Fischer sees the Crimson Tide winning in Provo to advance to a CFP quarterfinal matchup against his projected No. 2 seed, Georgia, at the Peach Bowl.
Alabama football schedule 2026
ESPN predicts the winner of Alabama football vs. Mississippi State
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) September 30, 2026
📸 Matt Bush, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/GfMhQC2tvA pic.twitter.com/Lbfdhm9WEa
Alabama will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville in Week 5 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff is 11 a.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC. Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy will have the call of the game. Katie George will report from the sidelines.
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs, 11 a.m., ABC
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs, 6:30 p.m., ABC
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, TBA
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, TBA
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 4-0 overall, 2-0 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: National media predict Alabama football's CFP fate, opponents entering Week 5
