How Many Wins Does Alabama Need for It to Be a Successful Season? Just a Minute

The Crimson Tide went 11-4 last season with a trip to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer coaches his players as a time out is called in the first half of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will group up or film solo to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral assistant editor and football writerKatie Windham discusses the win total Alabama football needs to reach in Year 3 under Kalen DeBoer in order for it to be considered a successful season for Crimson Tide fans.

Alabama football is less than 80 days away from kicking off the 2026 season and Year 3 under head coach Kalen DeBoer against East Carolina. The Crimson Tide went 9-4 in DeBoer's season, falling one spot short of the College Football Playoff.

In Year 2 under DeBoer, Alabama made an appearance in the SEC championship game and reached the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff before losing to eventual national champion and No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Alabama finished the season with an 11-4 record (7-1 SEC.)

How many wins does DeBoer's team need to pick up in 2026 in order for it to be considered a successful season? Because of the rate previous head coach Nick Saban was able to win at, many Alabama fans consider every season national championship or bust. Winning the program's first national title since 2020 will certainly be a goal for this Crimson Tide team, but it will be a challening goal to accomplish.

The number of games played can vary from 12 to up to 17 games, which obviously affects the number of possible wins. In my opinion, Alabama needs to reach at least 10 wins in order for it to be considered a successful season, but ultimately win total isn't the most important thing to me. The Crimson Tide needs to advance deeper in the CFP than it did last season, meaning Alabama needs to make a run to at least the College Football Playoff semifinal.

That is a high bar to clear, but the standard at Alabama is high, and DeBoer has never shied away from that standard since his opening press conference in Tuscaloosa.

Let us know in the comments on social media. What win total would you consider to be a success for the Crimson Tide in 2026?

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