Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

Alabama begins ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings in the top-10 for 2024

Originally posted on Touchdown Alabama Magazine
By Stephen M. Smith | Last updated Feb 14, 2024 2:59 PM ET

History has a way of repeating itself, but is that cycle happening again for Alabama football?

The eyes of college football turned to the University of Alabama in 2008 under Nick Saban to see if he was the real deal.

Alabama had not been capturing national championships since Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and Gene Stallings, but Saban proved in 2009 he had the Crimson Tide back on track. It is fitting that in Saban’s retirement the Tide returns as the center of the sports universe. People want to know if Kalen DeBoer has what it takes to keep the culture of excellence running. ESPN released its Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for college football for next season. Alabama came in at No. 9 ahead of Utah.

Ohio State up to No. 2. Notre Dame up to No. 5. Bama down to No. 9.

Complete Way-Too-Early Top 25 https://t.co/LOxZ3yKArX pic.twitter.com/v8ksYgOsPH

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) February 13, 2024

Four schools in the Southeastern Conference, including Texas, are ahead of it.

Missouri (No. 7), Ole Miss (No. 6), Texas (No. 4), and Georgia (No. 1) garnered more attention than the Tide.

Alabama is in a three-year national championship drought, so it is hungry to get back on top. Crimson Tide fans will be locked into spring practice to see what kind of team DeBoer has in his first season.

This article first appeared on Touchdown Alabama Magazine and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: