Alabama football ranks No. 8 in the 2025 preseason AP Poll, its lowest in over 15 years, setting up a pivotal season for Kalen DeBoer.

It's pretty rare that there's ever a serious race for No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Even if there's a debate, it's typically settled long before ballots are cast. Over the last 20 seasons, the difference in first-place votes between No.