Since the start of the SEC Championship game in 1992, the Alabama football program has won the most conference titles, with 11. Alabama has reached the SEC title game 15 times, while it’s been more than a decade since they missed the championship in consecutive seasons. However, the Crimson Tide will begin the Kalen DeBoer era next fall, marking the end of Nick Saban’s remarkable 17-year tenure. Nevertheless, the SEC analysts remain skeptical about the Alabama Crimson Tide transitioning to DeBoer in 2024.
On Friday, the SEC Preseason Media Poll was released, with Alabama ranking third among their conference peers. Alabama has at least tied for third place in the conference since 2010. That season, the Crimson Tide posted a 5-3 record in conference but finished with a stellar 10-3 record and beat the Michigan State Spartans in the Cotton Bowl.
Alabama Football: Receives Slight From Media
According to Brett McMurphy of The Athletic, the SEC Preseason Media Poll has Alabama as the third-best team in conference. Meanwhile, Alabama earned 12 votes to emerge as the champion, narrowly besting Ole Miss (4) and LSU (2). Their arch-rival, the Georgia Bulldogs, sit on the top spot while receiving 165 votes to win the SEC. Sandwiched between Alabama football and Georgia is newcomer Texas. The Longhorns, formerly of the Big 12, went 12-2 last season, making the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception in 2014.
NEW: 2024 College Football SEC Preseason Media Poll👀
Do you agree? 🤔https://t.co/Cl9jMaPmXm pic.twitter.com/sIkZVEX54T
— On3 (@On3sports) July 19, 2024
It’s been 13 seasons since Alabama failed to finish at least tied for third in the conference’s final standings. Meanwhile, 2007 was the last time Alabama finished the season unranked in the AP Poll. Additionally, the Crimson Tide have 126 wins in the past ten seasons, the most in the SEC, with Georgia clocking in at second with 109. New head coach Kalen DeBoer also has a long history of winning. DeBoer is 37-9 in his head coaching career from 2020 to 2023, including posting back-to-back double-digit winning seasons with the Washington Huskies.
Crimson Tide: Eyeing Return to CFP
With a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2024, the Alabama football program will have made the postseason tournament in eight of its ten seasons. The CFP expands to 12 teams starting next season, further increasing the odds that Alabama represents the SEC for a chance to hoist the championship trophy. Returning to lead the Crimson Tide will be quarterback Jalen Milroe, who finished sixth in Heisman Trophy Award voting last season. Milroe threw for 23 touchdowns against six picks the previous year while rushing for 12 scores.
Meanwhile, Alabama allowed only 19 points per game last season, the 16th-lowest mark in the country. The trio of Deontae Lawson, Jihaad Campbell, and Malachi Moore will lead the defense this upcoming season. Lawson is fresh off a 63-tackle, 6.5 TFL campaign, while Campbell added 66 tackles and four TFLs. Moore also had a fantastic season, posting 52 tackles, five TFLs, and an interception.
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