Despite 2024 Setbacks Against Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, Alabama Remains a Contender and Favorite Heading into 2025 Season
The University of Alabama football program has long been the gold standard of college football. Under the leadership of Nick Saban for nearly two decades, Alabama built a legacy of excellence defined by national championships, SEC dominance, and NFL-caliber talent development. However, in 2024, the Crimson Tide took a step back in a way fans are not used to. Losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Tennessee shook the foundations of the Tide’s supremacy, prompting widespread speculation about the team’s future. As the college football world turns its eyes to the 2025 season, a pressing question emerges: Is Alabama still a favorite?
To assess Alabama’s standing as a contender in 2025, one must start with context. The 2024 season wasn’t just a hiccup; it was a stunning deviation from expectations. Losing to Oklahoma is one thing—they’re a perennial power. Tennessee has been rising under Josh Heupel, and that rivalry game often brings unpredictability. But the loss to Vanderbilt was historic, marking one of the most shocking results of the Saban era. In fact, it was their first loss to the Commodores since the Reagan administration. That alone set off alarm bells across Tuscaloosa.
Yet, Alabama being written off has never ended well for its doubters. One of the great truths in college football is that the Crimson Tide reload, not rebuild. Still, 2025 brings more uncertainty than usual. The most glaring change is that Alabama will not be coached by Nick Saban. After the 2024 season, Saban finally called it a career, retiring as arguably the greatest college football coach in history. His replacement, former Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, is considered one of the brightest defensive minds in the game, but stepping into the shoes of a legend is no small task.
Lanning inherits a roster that, while talented, showed signs of inconsistency in 2024. The quarterback position remains unsettled. Jalen Milroe, who had flashes of brilliance in 2023, regressed in 2024 with turnovers and erratic decision-making. His backups, including Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan, were given chances but failed to seize the starting role with authority. As 2025 approaches, all eyes are on freshman sensation Bryce Underwood, a five-star recruit who spurned offers from Michigan and LSU to don the crimson and white. If he lives up to his billing, Alabama might just have its next Heisman contender.
Outside of the quarterback room, Alabama remains stacked. The running back corps features Jam Miller and Justice Haynes, both of whom are explosive and versatile backs with NFL potential. At receiver, Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law are expected to anchor a group that underperformed last season but remains deep and athletic. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, retained from the Saban staff, is tasked with unlocking their potential in a retooled scheme more attuned to vertical passing and uptempo play.
Defensively, Alabama has something to prove. Once the most feared unit in college football, the 2024 Tide defense was porous at times, particularly in losses to Oklahoma and Tennessee, where they surrendered over 35 points in each contest. The defensive line struggled with pressure, the linebackers missed assignments, and the secondary was burned far too often. However, with Dan Lanning’s expertise, there’s optimism for a turnaround. Five-star edge rusher Elijah Rushing and linebacker Qua Russaw headline a unit that blends experience with young stars. Kool-Aid McKinstry is gone to the NFL, but freshmen like Jaylen Mbakwe and Zabien Brown look ready to step up.
One cannot ignore the intangible factor of culture. Alabama has, for years, prided itself on “The Process,” a discipline-first, no-nonsense approach to football that defined Saban’s reign. Whether Dan Lanning can maintain that cultural standard remains a looming question. Early returns from spring camp suggest buy-in from veterans and coaches alike, but replacing a personality like Saban’s takes time—and perhaps a few hard lessons.
Looking at the schedule, Alabama faces a mixed bag in 2025. They open with a neutral-site clash against Notre Dame in Atlanta, a game that could instantly reset the narrative around the program if they win convincingly. Conference matchups include road games against Georgia and Texas A&M, as well as home tilts with LSU and Auburn. With the SEC eliminating divisions, every game matters even more in the quest to finish in the top two and make the SEC Championship Game.
Despite the tough schedule, Alabama is still widely viewed as a favorite—not just in the SEC but on the national stage. Preseason polls have them hovering between No. 4 and No. 7, depending on which outlet you ask. The betting markets still like their odds, especially with the assumption that the talent will outweigh the coaching transition growing pains. After all, Alabama continues to dominate in recruiting, finishing in the top two in every class since 2022. Talent acquisition hasn’t slowed. Development and cohesion will determine whether that talent translates to wins.
Moreover, the expanded College Football Playoff in 2025 gives Alabama more breathing room. With 12 teams qualifying, including six at-large bids, a two-loss Alabama team could still make the field with the right resume. That changes the pressure dynamic significantly. In past years, one or two bad losses could end a season. Now, there’s margin for error—a luxury Alabama might need during this transitional phase.
The national landscape is also shifting. Georgia, the new kings of the SEC under Kirby Smart, continue to recruit at an elite level, but they too are dealing with turnover and offensive inconsistency. Michigan is in flux after losing Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. Ohio State remains dangerous, and programs like Oregon, Texas, and Florida State are on the rise. In that context, Alabama is neither the unquestioned alpha nor an underdog. They’re a top-tier team in a more democratized power structure.
Another reason Alabama is still a favorite in 2025 is the infrastructure. Facilities, NIL support, fan engagement, and staff depth are all unmatched. While some schools are just now adapting to the realities of the NIL era, Alabama has embraced it. The Tide’s collective, Yea Alabama, has been instrumental in keeping talent in Tuscaloosa and attracting high-end transfers. In the modern game, where rosters can turn over in a single offseason, that edge matters.
Of course, for all the optimism, nothing is guaranteed. If Alabama opens 0-2, if the quarterback situation becomes chaotic, or if the defense fails to show improvement, the narrative will turn quickly. College football is ruthless, and the margin between elite and irrelevant is thin. Dan Lanning will be scrutinized from the first snap, every decision dissected, every loss amplified.
And yet, betting against Alabama has rarely paid off. They’ve faced questions before—after losing to Louisiana-Monroe in 2007, after getting steamrolled by Clemson in 2018, after missing the playoff in 2019, and after falling to Texas in 2023. Each time, they responded with fire and fury. The DNA of the program is too strong to collapse after one down year.
If anything, the 2024 setbacks could fuel a resurgence. Teams with something to prove are dangerous, especially when they have Alabama’s resources. The young players who tasted defeat are now older, hungrier, and motivated to reclaim the Tide’s perch atop the sport. The leadership void left by Saban won’t be filled overnight, but in Dan Lanning, Alabama may have found someone capable of ushering in the next era—not identical, but competitive.
So, is Alabama football favored in 2025? Yes, but with asterisks. They’re not the overwhelming favorite, not the juggernaut they were in 2020 or 2012. But they are firmly in the mix—top five in talent, top five in expectations, and still the team everyone circles on their calendar. If they can stabilize at quarterback, improve defensively, and adapt to the new leadership, there’s no reason Alabama can’t make a run at the SEC title and a deep playoff push.
In a sport defined by change, one constant remains: Alabama isn’t going anywhere. The crown may be slightly tilted, but it hasn’t fallen. The 2025 season will tell whether the Tide can roll on, or if the Saban era truly marked the end of something irreplaceable. But for now, doubt Alabama at your own risk.
