The Alabama Crimson Tide had been the gold standard for college football for nearly two decades now. Nick Saban took over as the head coach of the program back in 2007, and the program has had a historic run ever since. His team’s record is 194-27, with six of those losses coming in his first season, and Saban has six National Championship titles under his belt.
Alabama Ranked #4 In AP Preseason Poll
The 1st AP Poll is officially here.
Who won’t be on this list come 2024? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ri1RUJLfkq
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) August 14, 2023
Alabama is almost always a favorite, both in individual games and when it comes to future expectations and odds. They’ve backed it up, too, rising to the top spot on the AP poll at some point during every single season for the last 15 years.
Things might look a little different this season for the Crimson Tide. Since 2016, the program has been led by a quarterback who eventually goes on to be a starter in the NFL. Starting with Jalen Hurts, Alabama has had Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young all playing under center during their collegiate careers, all of whom figure to be their team’s starter this coming season.
But there is a question mark at the position for 2023. Jalen Milroe is the player on the roster who has the most experience, though it isn’t much. The redshirt sophomore quarterback played the backup role to Young during the last couple of years, and saw the field in limited capacity only. He has attempted just 60 passes in his career this far, throwing for 338 yards to go along with 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Question Marks At Quarterback Entering The Year
Alabama is outside the Preseason AP Top 3 for the first time since 2009
They are +600 to win the national championship pic.twitter.com/0zPinqpH9y
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) August 14, 2023
The sample size is small, but the 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio is a far cry from the 6.6:1 ratio that Young had during his two prominent years playing the position.
Both the oddsmakers and the voters for the AP poll have taken notice, and Saban and Alabama find themselves in unfamiliar territory. The Preseason AP Top-25 was released on Monday, and for the first time since 2009, the Crimson Tide is not in the top-3.
They aren’t far removed, coming in at #4, but they’ll have some work to do in proving that they belong near the top this coming season. Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State are all ranked above them for the first poll of the season.
NFL Betting Guides You May Like
- Best NFL Betting Sites Sites 2024 – Discover Top-rated Football Sportsbooks Ranked & Reviewed.
- Live Betting NFL Guide – Compare The Best NFL Live Betting Sites for 2024.
- Best NFL Betting Apps 2024 – List of Top Football Betting Apps in US.
- Best Offshore Betting Sites Review – Compare Best Offshore Sports Betting Sites.
- Best Online Gambling Sites 2024 – Best Gambling Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
