The Alabama Crimson Tide have a bye in Week 9 of the 2026 college football season, and it couldn't come at a better time for coach Kalen DeBoer's team.
Alabama (6-2, 3-2) is dealing with several key injuries, in addition to being in the midst of its toughest scheduling stretch of 2026. The Crimson Tide dropped back-to-back games against the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers before rallying in the fourth quarter for a 31-20 win over the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 8.
Keelon Russell threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to finish 19 of 30 for 311 yards with three TDs and an interception. Alabama's defense kept Texas A&M off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game after an opening drive to start the second half
netted the Aggies three points.
Caleb Woodson led the Crimson Tide defense with five tackles, and JUCO transfer defensive lineman Fatutoa Henry had two critical sacks against Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed in the second half of Alabama's win over the Aggies.
Alabama rose three spots No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. The Crimson Tide will face the LSU Tigers (6-2, 3-1) on Nov. 7 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. LSU is No. 13 in the Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the AP Top 25.
In the meantime, here's a look at where Alabama sits in ESPN's latest SP+ rankings.
Alabama football sees big jump ESPN SP+ rankings entering Week 9
Alabama is No. 7 in ESPN's SP+ team rankings, up five spots from this time last week.
The Crimson Tide have an overall rating of 20.9 (up from 18.5). Alabama is one spot below the Indiana Hoosiers (24.2) and one spot ahead of the Texas Longhorns (20.4) in ESPN's overall team rankings.
To break down Alabama's rating by units, SP+ gives the Crimson Tide a 37.2 rating on offense (No. 8 nationally, up five spots from last week) and an 16.6 rating on defense, which is No. 14 nationally and up nine spots from before the win over Texas A&M. In special teams, Alabama is given a 0.3 rating, which ranks 40th nationally (down 15 spots from No. 25).
In the overall SP+ team rankings, Alabama trails only Georgia (27.1) and LSU (25.2) among SEC teams.
ESPN ranks Alabama football's strength of schedule amid chaotic 2026 season
In ESPN's résumé SP+ and strength of schedule rankings entering Week 9, Alabama is No. 9 nationally. Its overall strength of schedule ranking of 0.812 is one spot ahead of the Purdue Boilermakers and one spot below the Michigan State Spartans in terms of toughest schedules played.
ESPN describes strength of schedule rankings as being "based on the expected win percentage an average top-five team (per SP+) would generate against each team's schedule. An SOS rating of .850, for instance, signifies that the average top-five team would be expected to win an average of 85% of its games, or 10.2 projected wins over a 12-game schedule. A lower expected win percentage signifies a harder schedule, so the lowest SOS rating ranks first."
ESPN predicts the winner of Alabama football's last four games
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 28, 2026
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SEC football teams ranked by ESPN SP+
Here is where Alabama and all 16 SEC teams rank in ESPN's SP+, as well as their national ranking among the 138 FBS programs.
- 16. Vanderbilt Commodores (-1.4, No. 77 nationally)
- 15. Arkansas Razorbacks (-0.4, No. 71)
- 14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6.0, No. 52)
- 13. Auburn Tigers (6.5, No. 51)
- 12. Texas A&M Aggies (9.7, No. 34)
- 11. Oklahoma Sooners (10.3, No. 33)
- T-9. Kentucky Wildcats (10.6)
- T-9. Florida Gators (10.6, No. 31)
- 8. South Carolina Gamecocks (11.0, No. 28)
- 7. Missouri Tigers (14.2, No. 18)
- 6. Ole Miss Rebels (14.7, No. 16 nationally)
- 5. Tennessee Volunteers (17.9, No. 11 nationally)
- 4. Texas Longhorns (20.4, No. 8 nationally)
- 3. Alabama Crimson Tide (20.9, No. 7 nationally)
- 2. LSU Tigers (25.2, No. 4 nationally)
- 1. Georgia Bulldogs (27.1, No. 2 nationally)
What are ESPN SP+ rankings?
According to Connelly, SP+ is "simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise."
"SP+ is not a résumé ranking, so it does not automatically give credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system does," he adds.
'College GameDay' announces Week 9 location, making difficult decision
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 28, 2026
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Alabama football schedule 2026
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 (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers (L, 26-10)
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies (W, 31-20)
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 6-2 overall, 4-2 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Where Alabama football sits in ESPN SP+, SOS rankings entering Week 9
