College football preseason rankings: How will No. 5 Alabama handle life after Nick Saban?

[ad_1]

Welcome to the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

In anticipation of the first four-round postseason in college football history, we’re counting down our predicted playoff field as the season approaches. The top five conference champions in the CFP selection committee’s rankings will make the playoff and the rest of the field will be filled out by seven at-large teams. Who will lift the national championship trophy on Jan. 20 in Atlanta?

Previous previews: Nos. 25-13, No. 12 Boise State, No. 11 Utah, No. 10 Florida State, No. 9 Missouri, No. 8 Michigan, No. 7 Notre Dame

Click here for the Viewer’s Guide to the New College Football Playoff. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports)

2023 record: 12-2, 8-0 SEC

The Crimson Tide’s playoff margin for error disappeared in Week 2 with a 34-24 home loss to Texas. The game established Texas as a CFP contender and forced Alabama to win out to make the postseason.

Guess what? Alabama did just that. The Crimson Tide won their final 10 games of the regular season to set up a meeting with Georgia in the SEC title game. There were a few close ones in there — Alabama beat Arkansas and Auburn by three and Texas A&M by six — before taking down the previously undefeated Bulldogs 27-24 in the SEC title game.

Alabama didn’t play for the title, however, after a messy play led to Jalen Milroe being stopped short on fourth down in overtime of the Rose Bowl against Michigan.

Jalen Milroe and Alabama come in at No. 5 in the Yahoo Sports preseason rankings. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

It’s a massive season of change at Alabama. That will be the theme across the Crimson Tide’s 2024 season as the football program embarks on its first season of the post-Nick Saban era. Saban retired in the days after the Rose Bowl as the…

[ad_2]

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-preseason-rankings-how-will-no-5-alabama-handle-life-after-nick-saban-130034865.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-22 13:00:34

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Scroll to Top