Alabama was on the butt-end of one of the more shocking results this past weekend, losing 26-10 to Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
The defeat marked a second straight loss for the Crimson Tide after losing a close 20-17 game at home to No. 2 Georgia last week.
Kalen DeBoer's team had the perfect chance to prove it belonged in the contender conversation. Instead, Alabama struggled on both sides of the ball. They managed just 201 total yards, including 54 rushing yards, while quarterback Keelon Russell threw for 147 yards and two interceptions. Tennessee controlled the game from the jump, scoring 14 unanswered points in the second half to pull away. The loss marked Alabama's first back-to-back regular-season defeats since 2007.
On Monday, college football analyst Paul Finebaum put Alabama on notice, warning that the program is in trouble after two straight losses.
"Right now they're looking at the abyss. They have to go to LSU. Now, LSU has been all over the place this year. But Alabama does not seem to play that well on the road. I know they beat Mississippi State, but Kamario Taylor was out of that game. And if they drop that game, they're done. They're not getting in the [College Football] Playoff," Finebaum said. "Alabama is really in trouble at the moment."
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Alabama started the 2026 season off hot, winning its first five games against East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. Their wins over the Wildcats and Bulldogs both came on the road, but they've now dropped two straight against SEC rivals.
The Crimson Tide currently sit 5-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play, falling to No. 13 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Finebaum also pointed out that most of the blame this year has gone to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, but that doesn't mean DeBoer is entirely safe either.
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Alabama, Missouri, Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss all have five wins this season, while Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee sit atop the conference with six wins a piece. With how competitive the SEC is, the Tide can't afford any more setbacks.
Unfortunately, they've got a brutal upcoming schedule, with a home game against Texas A&M before they head to Death Valley to face Lane Kiffin's Tigers. They'll then go to Vanderbilt and host Chattanooga before closing the regular season against rival Auburn.