Nate Oats’ Alabama Crimson Tide is officially kicking off the 2026-27 season tied at No. 18 in the USA TODAY Sports preseason Coaches Poll, grabbing 286 points right alongside Kansas. This is a team that’s clearly got expectations, as they also landed the No. 20 spot in another preseason Top 25 ranking. With regular season play kicking off soon, Alabama’s aiming to build on some serious momentum from last year.
The SEC Power Struggle Is Already Heating Up
When you look at the Coaches Poll, Alabama is far from alone in the conference. They are the fifth of seven SEC teams making the cut, which tells you just how deep and competitive this league is going to be. Florida leads the whole damn country at No. 1, pulling in 20 first-place votes, so the top spot is locked down for now. Texas is sitting at No. 7, Tennessee at No. 9, and Arkansas at No. 13. Then you have Vanderbilt at No. 21 and Kentucky at No. 23 rounding out the SEC’s ranked squads. The Crimson Tide is right there in the mix, and they know what it takes to climb that ladder.
Building on a Record-Setting Run
Last season, the 2025-26 campaign, was a wild ride for Alabama. They wrapped it up with a 25-10 overall record, going 13-5 in conference play. That 13-5 mark had them tied for second place in the SEC regular-season standings with Arkansas, right behind Florida. Postseason started a little rough, an 80-79 upset loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, which is always a tough pill to swallow. But these guys bounced back, big time. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, tearing through Hofstra and Texas Tech to hit their fourth consecutive Sweet 16. That, my friends, is a program record. Fourth straight Sweet 16? That’s consistency you can build dynasties on, and it shows why they are getting that preseason love.
So, what’s next for the Crimson Tide? They have one last preseason exhibition on Thursday, October 22, against rival Auburn. Then it is go time for real. Regular-season play tips off on Tuesday, November 3, when they host Sam Houston at Coleman Coliseum. You gotta wonder if they can push past the Sweet 16 this year and make an even deeper run, especially with that kind of history already in the books.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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