Alabama football higher in USA TODAY Sports re-rank than top 25 polls

By Pune Media On Aug 19, 2025

One national outlet is slightly higher on the Alabama Crimson Tide entering the 2025 college football season than the coaches who make up the US LBM Coaches Poll and the various sportswriters and broadcasters who make up the AP Top 25 poll.

Alabama was ranked No. 8 in both the preseason Coaches Poll on Aug. 4, as well as the AP Top 25 poll released on Aug. 11. Among SEC teams, Alabama placed third behind the top-ranked Texas Longhorns and the Georgia Bulldogs. Kirby Smart’s team was No. 4 in the Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the AP poll.

On Monday, USA TODAY Sports unveiled its own preseason rankings (re-rank) of all 136 FBS programs ahead of 2025. Alabama checked at No. 7 in longtime college football analyst Paul Myerberg’s hierarchy of teams, one spot higher than its ranking in the preseason top 25 polls.

While Texas and Georgia were both still ahead of the Crimson Tide in USA TODAY Sports’ rankings entering coach Kalen DeBoer’s second season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama placed ahead of one team that landed ahead of them in the preseason polls: the Oregon Ducks.

The LSU Tigers, who Alabama edged by one spot in the preseason polls, were still the next highest-ranked SEC team, though they were a few spots lower in USA TODAY Sports’ full rankings of all 136 FBS teams entering 2025.

Here’s a look at the top 25 college football teams entering the 2025 season, as ranked by USA TODAY Sports.

USA TODAY Sports ranks top 25 college football teams entering 2025

1. Penn State
2. Georgia
3. Clemson
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. Ohio State
7. Alabama
8. Oregon
9. Miami
10. LSU
11. Oklahoma
12. Illinois
13. Kansas State
14. Louisville
15. Michigan
16. Tennessee
17. Ole Miss
18. Arizona State
19. Texas Tech
20. South Carolina
21. Nebraska
22. Texas A&M
23. Boise State
24. Indiana
25. Florida

SEC football team rankings by USA TODAY Sports entering 2025 season

The SEC led the way with 10 teams ranked in USA TODAY Sports’ top 25 preseason rankings, followed by the Big Ten with seven. Here’s a look at where every SEC program placed in the full 1-136 rankings of every FBS program entering 2025.

1. Georgia (2nd overall)
2. Texas (4th overall)
3. Alabama (7th overall)
4. LSU (10th overall)
5. Oklahoma (11th overall)
6. Tennessee (16th overall)
7. Ole Miss (17th overall)
8. South Carolina (20th overall)
9. Texas A&M (22nd overall)
10. Florida (25th overall)
11. Missouri (35th overall)
12. Auburn (49th overall)
13. Vanderbilt (62nd overall)
14. Arkansas (82nd overall)
15. Kentucky (92nd overall)
16. Mississippi State (115th overall)

Alabama football schedule 2025

Alabama opens the 2025 season against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.

All times Central.

Aug. 30: at Florida State, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Sept. 6: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 6:45 p.m., SEC Network
Sept. 13: vs. Wisconsin, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPN
Sept. 27: at Georgia, 6:30 p.m., ABC
Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt, TBA
Oct. 11: at Missouri, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPN
Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee, TBA
Oct. 25: at South Carolina, TBA
Nov. 8: vs. LSU, prime time
Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma, TBA
Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 29: at Auburn, TBA

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