College football analyst labels Alabama as 'serious contender' for CFP

The Alabama Crimson Tide will enter the 2026 campaign as one of the top teams in the SEC. 

Alabama lost a multitude of key playmakers to both the NFL draft and transfer portal this past offseason. The Tide were able to reload in authoritative fashion, however, as Alabama added a handful of elite talent on both sides of the football via the transfer portal, as well as an impressive recruiting class.

As a result, the Crimson Tide are considered by many to potentially return to the College Football Playoff during the 2026 season, with On3’s Chris Low recently labeling Alabama as a “serious contender” in his CFP picture among SEC teams.

In Low’s playoff picture, Texas and Georgia are the lone SEC programs to earn a higher projection than the Tide, as each team is listed in the “best bets” tier. Alabama sits alongside LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M in the “serious contender” tier, but the Tide can quickly prove themselves worthy of ranking in the “best bets” tier should the team get off to a hot start in 2026. 

The Crimson Tide will undoubtedly enter the 2026 campaign with a massive chip on their shoulder following a devastating end to the 2025 season against Indiana in the Rose Bowl, and the Crimson Tide will look to emerge as a serious contender for the CFP.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Chris Low labels Alabama football as ‘serious contender’ for 2026 CFP