As Alabama enters the 2026 college football season, optimism around Kalen DeBoer’s third year in Tuscaloosa is mixed with uncertainty.
The Crimson Tide remains one of the nation’s most talented teams on paper, but an ongoing quarterback battle and questions along the offensive line and in the running game have created one of the widest ranges of expectations Alabama has faced in years.
During SEC Media Days, BamaOnLine’s Charlie Potter asked several of On3’s national college football analysts for their predictions on Alabama’s upcoming season. While there wasn’t complete agreement on exactly how many games the Crimson Tide will win, one theme consistently emerged: if Alabama fixes its rushing attack, it has the talent to compete for a national championship.
Most Analysts See Alabama Finishing Around 9-3
Among the national voices, the consensus prediction centered around a 9-3 regular season.
Josh Pate described Alabama as one of the hardest teams in the country to project because of its enormous range of outcomes
Rather than seeing a team with a predictable floor and ceiling, Pate believes Alabama could realistically finish anywhere from 7-5 to 11-1 depending on whether several key questions are answered.
That uncertainty is unusual for a program that, under Nick Saban, was annually considered one of college football’s safest championship contenders.
J.D. PicKell echoed that sentiment, pointing to Alabama’s new quarterback and revamped offensive line as reasons for caution. While he isn’t ready to confidently predict a College Football Playoff appearance, he also wouldn’t be surprised if the Crimson Tide exceeded expectations and found its way back into the postseason.
The Running Game Is the Biggest Question
If there was one unanimous takeaway from the panel, it was Alabama’s rushing offense.
