EA Sports simulation predicts the 2026 college football season: See how our in-state teams did

The 2026 college football season is officially underway with the first full slate of games set for this Saturday.

But instead of making our own predictions, we decided to check in with EA Sports College Football 27. The classic video game is back for its third season after a decade-long hiatus and we wanted to see what a simulated season would look like for our in-state teams.

Auburn and UAB fans may raise their expectations after seeing this while Alabama fans may just want to look away.

Here’s how it all went down in our one and only simulated season.

Final records

Unfortunately, the EA Sports game only has FBS teams which means the simulation only included six schools from Alabama. Here’s how the final records turned out for each of them:

• Alabama: 9-4 (5-4 in SEC)
• Auburn: 11-4 (7-2 in SEC)
• Jax State: 6-7 (3-5 in CUSA)
• South Alabama: 5-7 (3-5 in Sun Belt)
• Troy: 5-7 (4-4 in Sun Belt)
• UAB: 10-4 (5-3 in American)

It was the first-year coaches leading their teams to success in the simulated season.

Auburn went 11-4, losing to Ole Miss in the SEC Championship Game before grabbing the program’s first ever playoff win by beating Northwestern.

Meanwhile, UAB was back on top of the American Conference, starting the season 7-0 before beating Temple in the conference championship. The Blazers’ four losses were by 21 total points, including a 3-point defeat in the First Responders Bowl.

Alabama did not get the return to the playoff that the virtual Tide fans were hoping for. The Crimson Tide started 7-1 before losing at LSU, at Vanderbilt and the Iron Bowl (see more below).

South Alabama got a big rivalry win, taking down Troy 38-27 in the Battle for the Belt. Bishop Davenport threw four touchdown passes for the Jaguars. However, both teams lost four of their final five games and missed out on bowl games.

Jax State was back in a bowl game, thanks to a 17-16 win in the regular season finale against Delaware. But the Gamecocks fell below .500 to finish the year after a 24-0 loss in the Idaho Potato Bowl.

Keelon Russell vs. Byrum Brown

Two new stars will be taking over the college football stage in our state as both Alabama and Auburn have new quarterbacks with high expectations.

Here’s how they did:

• Keelon Russell, Alabama: 3,871 passing yards, 41 total TDs, 5 INTs, 70% completion rate
  • Shaun Alexander Award winner
• Byrum Brown, Auburn: 5,064 passing yards, 592 rushing yards, 44 total TDs, 10 INTs, 71% completion rate
  • Heisman finalist (4th)

With those two seasons, you know the Iron Bowl just had to be a shootout. And it was, with Auburn winning in Tuscaloosa, 49-43. Russell threw for six touchdowns including three to Noah Rogers.

But Brown countered with a pair of passing touchdowns + a pair of rushing touchdowns. The Tigers ran for 239 yards and five touchdowns in the win.

Award winners

While Brown finished fourth in the Heisman race, it was Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss who got won the prestigious award.

Some other in-state award finalists from the season included:

• Byrum Brown, Auburn: Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Paul Hornung Award
• Keelon Russell, Alabama: Shaun Alexander Award (winner), Davey O’Brien Award
• Xavier Griffin, Alabama: Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Shaun Alexander Award
• Daniel Hill, Alabama: Doak Walker Award
• Kaleb Brown, UAB: Biletnikoff Award
• Mack Sutter, Alabama: John Mackey Award, Shaun Alexander Award
• Bray Hubbard, Alabama: William V. Campbell award

Alabama linebacker Xavier Griffin was also named as a first-team All-American. Russell was a freshman All-American.

Both Alex Golesh and Kalen DeBoer were named as Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Finalists.

College Football Playoff prediction

Auburn was among the biggest surprises for the 12-team field but joining them was season-opening opponent Baylor (a game EA Sports predicted as a 31-28 Auburn win).

The Tigers were one of three SEC teams in the field, all of them earning at least one win.

Ole Miss, who split the season series with Auburn, made it to the title game before falling in a thriller to Notre Dame. You can see the full bracket below.