After suffering an upset loss to Florida State, Alabama dropped 13 spots in the Week 2 release of the 2025 AP college football rankings. The Crimson Tide entered the year ranked No. 8, but will make their home opener against ULM at No. 21.
The Tide certainly deserved a demotion, but they dropped more than any other team in the rankings. No other team fell more than six spots, although Kansas State and Boise State were removed from the rankings entirely.
Alabama showed many holes in the loss on both sides of the ball. New quarterback Ty Simpson displayed great chemistry with senior wideout Germie Bernard, but that was almost all the offense the team produced. Bernard accounted for 146 of Simpson's 254 passing yards while Alabama managed just 3.0 yards per carry on the ground.
The Crimson Tide also allowed 230 rushing yards despite holding Florida State's running backs to 3.2 yards per carry. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos and wide receiver Micahi Danzi combined for 134 of the Seminoles' 230 rushing yards.
Since the loss, fans have been quick to jump on head coach Kalen DeBoer, with some even calling for his job after just 14 games with the team. The loss is a disappointing start to the year after Alabama went “just” 9-4 in 2024. The Tide are still SEC title contenders whose College Football Playoff aspirations are not dead yet.
As quickly as DeBoer burst onto the scene, many still question his legitimacy. Despite leading Washington to the 2024 National Championship Game, DeBoer is just in his sixth year coaching at the FBS level. He was only at Fresno State for two years before spending the same amount of time with the Huskies and eventually leaving to become Nick Saban's successor in Tuscaloosa.
While Alabama clearly has work to do, it is still better than its No. 21 ranking suggests. The Crimson Tide will prove as much for the rest of the 2025 season, beginning in Week 2 against ULM.
Alabama is too low in Week 2 college football rankings
Although losing as a 14-point favorite in the season opener is a bad look, Florida State proved that it was one of the most underrated preseason teams in the country. The win was more impressive for the Seminoles than it was disappointing for the Crimson Tide. Had Mike Norvell's team been ranked entering the game, as it likely should have been, Alabama would not have dropped so far in the Week 2 AP college football rankings.
The issue derives from fans entering the season with preconceived notions about both teams. Fans wrote Florida State off after it began the 2024 season ranked No. 10 and finished with a 2-10 record. Many believed that head coach Mike Norvell should have been fired in the offseason and did not predict anything changing in 2025.
For that reason alone, many expected Alabama to flex its muscles on Florida State in Week 1. However, DeBoer is another popular target of fan ire. Since the Crimson Tide suffered a brutal upset loss to Vanderbilt in 2024, fans have been skeptical of the 50-year-old coach. DeBoer has faced the impossible task of meeting the lofty expectations Nick Saban set for the program, and anything less than perennial title contention is subject to expulsion.
Alabama still should have been favored to beat Florida State, but the matchup was much less favorable than many seemed to realize. Not only was Simpson making his first career start on the road in Tallahassee, but the Crimson Tide also played without defensive tackle Tim Keenan and running back Jam Miller. Both are undeniably two of the team's best assets, with Keenan arguably the best player on Kane Womack's defense.
With two favorable matchups over the next three weeks, Alabama should begin the year with a 2-1 record. The Tide have another big challenge ahead when they face Georgia on the road in Week 5, but they have beaten the Bulldogs in nine of the last 10 meetings.
Alabama will redeem itself in next three games
Beating ULM and this version of Wisconsin will not prove anything to any doubters. However, if Alabama can take care of business against Georgia, it will be difficult to deny them as title contenders.
Like Alabama, Georgia debuted a new starting quarterback in Week 1. Former backup Gunner Stockton officially began his tenure in the Bulldogs' 45-7 win over Marshall. However, unlike Simpson, Stockton has started before, notably in the team's 2024 College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.
In many ways, the Georgia matchup will be the official start of Alabama's 2025 season. Florida State was its true season opener, but the game against the Bulldogs will start SEC league play. Simpson will have three complete games under his belt by that point, while DeBoer is targeting Week 5 for Miller and Keenan's returns. They are far from a finished product, making it way too early to drop them entirely out of the playoff picture.
If Alabama can top Georgia for the third straight season, it will likely return to the top 10 of the 2025 college football rankings. Their title hopes will be back on track, putting the Crimson Tide in a great position ahead of a revenge game against Vanderbilt.
The looming matchup makes the next two games arguably the most important in DeBoer's career. Alabama must find a way to get its passing game going in a manner it did not against Florida State. Namely, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has to make Ryan Williams a bigger part of the Week 2 game plan against ULM.
The Crimson Tide's next three weeks — ULM, Wisconsin and a Week 4 bye — could make or break their 2025 college football season. However, with several more marquee matchups ahead, Alabama will prove that its placement in the Week 2 college football rankings is a severe overreaction.
