The Alabama Crimson Tide are a top-10 team after Week 1 of the 2026 college football season, at least in one national outlet's rankings.
In USA TODAY Sports' weekly NCAA football rankings on Tuesday, longtime USA TODAY Sports analyst Paul Myerberg has the Crimson Tide at No. 10 overall among all 138 FBS programs. Alabama is ranked one spot below the Oklahoma Sooners and one spot ahead of Southern California
.While they fell one spot from their preseason ranking thanks to LSU's rout of Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers, the Crimson Tide are the fifth-highest ranked SEC team in USA TODAY Sports' NCAA re-rank after Week 1.
"LSU leaps 10 spots to No. 8 after a 51-10 obliteration of Clemson, forcing small drops for No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11
Southern California and No. 13 Texas Tech," Myerberg explained.
Year 3 of the Kalen DeBoer era got off to a good start with Saturday's 48-10 victory over East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Keelon Russell had quite a debut in his first career start, accounting for 342 all-purpose yards, including 18-of-30 passing for 256 yards and 13 rushing attempts for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Daniel Hill ran nine times for 47 yards and two scores, and five-star freshman EJ Crowell had seven touches for 37 yards and Alabama's first touchdown of 2026. Between Russell, Hill, Crowell and fellow freshman Trae'shawn Brown, five of Alabama's touchdowns came on the ground.
The Tide amassed just shy of 500 yards of total offense (487) and held East Carolina to 162 yards and only five first downs. Wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams caught five passes for 130 yards, despite a couple of drops.
Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre had a 27-yard interception return for touchdown for the Tide's first non-offensive touchdown of the season. Pierre had three tackles, including one sack.
Did Alabama football rise or fall in US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 1?
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) September 8, 2026
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Here is the 1-16 order of SEC teams in Myerberg's full 1-138 NCAA football rankings.
SEC football teams ranked worst to first by USA TODAY Sports entering 2026
- 16. Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 100 nationally)
- 15. Kentucky Wildcats (No. 91)
- 14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 78)
- 13. South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 42)
- 12. Auburn Tigers (No. 39)
- 11. Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 38)
- 10. Florida Gators (No. 31)
- 9. Missouri Tigers (No. 26)
- 8. Tennessee Volunteers (No. 17)
- 7. Texas A&M Aggies (No. 13)
- 6. Ole Miss Rebels (No. 12)
- 5. Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 10)
- 4. Oklahoma Sooners (No. 9)
- 3. LSU Tigers (No. 8)
- 2. Georgia Bulldogs (No. 6)
- 1. Texas Longhorns (No. 4)
Alabama football schedule 2026
All start times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, prime time
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs, early window
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs, prime time
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, TBA
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Agges, 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: 1-0.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: USA TODAY Sports ranks Alabama football as top 10 team after Week 1
