Alabama could make unwanted college football history after Florida State loss

Alabama risks ending its 279-poll streak after Florida State loss

Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer has lost four games to unranked opponents since arriving in Tuscaloosa. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

It was a jarring sight for college football fans on Sunday night when Alabama’s loss to Florida State continued to reverberate through the sport. During ESPN’s broadcast of TCU against North Carolina, longtime broadcaster Rece Davis revealed he left Alabama off his Associated Press ballot for the first time in his career. The Crimson Tide, ranked in 279 consecutive AP Top 25 polls since 2008, are now on the brink of watching that historic streak collapse.

Davis, an Alabama alumnus, explained his reasoning candidly. “I didn’t rank them this week. Eight out,” he said, before Kirk Herbstreit added, “I don’t think they should be ranked after that performance.” The Tide’s 31-17 loss to the Seminoles not only exposed early flaws under new coach Kalen DeBoer but also created ripple effects that could push Alabama outside the rankings for the first time in nearly two decades.

The conversation underscored how seismic this shift could be. Nebraska’s record streak of 348 consecutive poll appearances, set between 1981 and 2002, has long been the benchmark. Alabama now faces the possibility of being bumped from its perch, a development unthinkable in the Nick Saban era.

Alabama’s Streak And The Potential End Of An Era

Since the 2008 preseason poll, Alabama has been an unshakable presence in the Top 25. The Tide’s 279 straight appearances mark the second-longest streak in AP history, trailing only Nebraska. That consistency became a trademark of the program’s dominance under Saban, symbolizing both national relevance and week-to-week superiority.

The Florida State loss raises questions about whether that continuity can survive a transition season. DeBoer, who replaced Saban after his retirement, has now lost to four unranked opponents in his first 14 games dating back to his Washington tenure.

AP voter and Alabama alum Rece Davis says he didn’t rank the Tide on his ballot this week.

If Alabama is unranked today, it would end the 2nd-longest AP ranked streak in history at 279 consecutive polls (since 2008 preseason). Only Nebraska’s 348 appearances from 1981-2002 is… https://t.co/65YuMRfsg6

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) September 2, 2025

In stark contrast, Saban lost only four such games in 17 years at Alabama. That comparison has quickly made its way into national conversation as the Tide appear vulnerable in ways that were once unthinkable.

AP voters are not required to weigh historical context when submitting ballots, and many lean on the “what have you done lately” philosophy. For Alabama, the performance in Tallahassee was uninspired, with Florida State controlling the game on both lines of scrimmage.

If Davis’ exclusion of Alabama from his ballot reflects a broader voter consensus, the Tide’s streak will end, and college football will enter unfamiliar territory without Alabama in the rankings.

A Historic Weekend Of Top-10 Losses Shakes Up The Poll

Alabama’s predicament was part of a broader upheaval. Four top-10 teams lost in the same opening weekend for the first time in AP poll history. No. 1 Texas fell to Ohio State in Columbus, No. 4 Clemson dropped a defensive struggle to LSU, No. 6 Notre Dame was upset by Miami, and No. 8 Alabama lost to Florida State.

The reshuffling will be significant. Ohio State, the defending national champion, is the likely new No. 1, though Penn State’s preseason support could sway some ballots. LSU, coming off its win against Clemson, will make a case to leap near the top, while Miami is also poised to climb.

ESPN broadcaster Rece Davis noted he did not put Alabama on his AP ballot after the Crimson Tide's upset loss to Florida State. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For Alabama, however, the conversation is not about upward momentum but survival. Will voters consider their defeat to a ranked Florida State team respectable, or will they punish a program accustomed to higher standards?

The answer will carry symbolic weight. A fall outside the Top 25 would not only end Alabama’s streak but also signal the first tangible break from the Saban era’s sustained dominance. That possibility, once dismissed as impossible, is now on the doorstep as the AP prepares to release its updated poll.

Alabama’s future under DeBoer will not be defined by one September loss, but its standing in college football history books might. The Crimson Tide are set to host Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET.