Alabama Football News

Where ESPN ranks Alabama among College Football Playoff contenders ahead of 2026 season

by
Justin Smith
August 3, 2026

Alabama RB Daniel Hill (#4) celebrates a touchdown versus Oklahoma in first round of CFP.

Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Daniel Hill (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family OK Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

ESPN ranked 31 teams it feels can make the College Football Playoff Monday ahead of the start of fall camp for several programs. The Alabama Crimson Tide came in at No. 17.

ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Alabama football a 41 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff and a 3.7 percent chance to win the National Championship.

Texas came in at No. 1 in ESPN’s recent piece. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon and Georgia rounded out the top five. Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU and Oklahoma were the SEC teams ranked higher than Alabama among playoff contenders, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, who made this list by considering ESPN Analytics and historical knowledge of what the committee does and does not like about the schedules each team will present as its résumé.

Alabama football opens the season against East Carolina on Sept. 5. The Crimson Tide, like the rest of the SEC, will play nine conference games this season. Alabama’s 2026 conference opponents are Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt and Auburn. The Tide will take on East Carolina, Florida State and Chattanooga as a part of its non-conference schedule.

Justin Smith( Managing Editor, Director of Recruiting )

Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.