May 19, 2024
So much about Nick Saban's 17 seasons at Alabama represents unprecedented success in college football football that even the slightest dip in performance is notable.
For any other program, permanent residence in the top 10 of The Associated College football poll going on nine consecutive seasons would be celebrated. For the Crimson Tide, it's a sign of slippage.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan held their places atop the AP poll Sunday, with Florida State moving up to No. 3 and Texas vaulting into the top five at No. 4 after beating 'Bama.
The Tide slipped seven spots to No. 10, keeping its streak of consecutive appearances in the top-10 alive at 128.
But look a little closer. From 2009-2020, the season of Alabama's sixth and most recent championship under Saban, the Crimson Tide appeared in the AP poll top-five 88% of the time. Not only was that the best mark in college football over that span, next best wasn't even close. Ohio State appeared in the top five 50% of the time.
From 2021 through the first couple of weeks of this season, the Tide has been a top-five team 77% of the time. That's still second-best in the country behind Georgia (100%) and ahead of Ohio State (68.6%) and Michigan (60%).
The loss to Texas marked the earliest in a season Alabama has dropped a game during Saban's tenure and it ended a record 57-game winning streak against nonconference opponents in the regular season.
Saban pointed out that while disappointing this was not Alabama's final exam and there was plenty of time to improve.
