Alabama, Auburn move up in AP rankings; 11 SEC teams in Top 25
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Alabama and Auburn each got a big home win over the weekend in their final tune-up games before the start of SEC play.
In Sunday’s AP rankings, both teams moved up and will start conference play in the Top 25. Alabama has moved up to No. 14 after two blowout wins since losing its season opener while undefeated Auburn moved up two spots to No. 22.
But the road ahead for both teams is about to get a lot more difficult with ranked opponents crowding the schedule for the rest of the regular season.
Keep reading to learn more about both teams’ standing in the AP Poll + the upcoming SEC gauntlet for each team.
Alabama football
Alabama moves up five spots to No. 14 after a win over Wisconsin. The Tide is now the second highest ranked one-loss team, behind No. 8 Texas.
This is the 282nd consecutive AP poll to feature Alabama, last being unranked in 2007.
The Crimson Tide appeared on all but three of the 66 ballots + was ranked as high as 10th on two different ballots.
Alabama hits a bye week to prepare for SEC play which starts with a road trip to Athens to face No. 5 Georgia. That will be the start of a stretch where the Tide faces four currently ranked teams in four weeks.
Seven of the Tide’s eight SEC opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25 with the only unranked team, South Carolina, just two spots outside the AP rankings.
- Sep. 27: at No. 5 Georgia
- Oct. 4: No. 20 Vanderbilt
- Oct. 11: at No. 23 Missouri
- Oct. 18: No. 15 Tennessee
- Oct. 25: at South Carolina
- Nov. 8: No. 3 LSU
- Nov. 15: No. 11 Oklahoma
- Nov. 29: at No. 22 Auburn
Alabama played seven ranked teams at the time of the games during the regular season in both 2016 and 2010, a program record. It seems they’ll have a chance to at least tie that record this season.
Auburn football
Auburn enters SEC play with a 3-0 record for the second time in the last three years but Tiger fans are hoping this turns out better than the 2023 season.
The Tigers are ranked No. 22 this week, their highest ranking since November 2021. Auburn also moved into the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time this season.
Auburn was actually ranked ahead of Alabama on 14 of the 66 ballots and was also ranked as high as No. 10 by one voter.
While the Tigers have impressed enough people with their start but tougher tests are on the way, starting with four straight ranked SEC opponents to start conference play.
Here’s how Auburn’s conference schedule looks with this week’s rankings:
- Sep. 20: at No. 11 Oklahoma
- Sep. 27: at No. 10 Texas A&M
- Oct. 11: No. 5 Georgia
- Oct. 18: No. 23 Missouri
- Oct. 25: at Arkansas
- Nov. 1: Kentucky
- Nov. 8: at No. 20 Vanderbilt
- Nov. 29: No. 14 Alabama
SEC football
There will almost certainly be changes to the poll before the end of the season especially once conference play gets into full swing as SEC teams start to beat up on each other.
But as of now, the SEC makes up 44 percent of the AP Poll and 40 percent of the Top 10.
LSU was the lone SEC team to receive any first-place votes, getting two of the 66 and ranking third overall behind Ohio State and Penn State.
Two other SEC teams are just outside the top 25 with South Carolina dropping out of the rankings to No. 27 and Mississippi State moving up just behind them at No. 28.
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