The first year of the 12-team college football playoffs was a massive success, with the Ohio State Buckeyes beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game. The 2024 season didn’t have quite the same success for the Alabama Crimson Tide, as they finished the season with a 9-4 record and a second consecutive bowl loss at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines.

The Tide have several options at the position, but the biggest hurdle Alabama will face in 2025 is replacing QB Jalen Milroe, who has departed for the NFL draft. Ty Simpson will be the favorite to win the job, but there is a lot of hype for incoming five-star Keelon Russell as well as Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer from Seattle. Aside from the QB position, the Crimson Tide return arguably the strongest roster in the SEC with guys like Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson returning for another year.

Even though the schedule will be a gauntlet next season, Alabama should be back competing for a Playoff spot. The season is still about seven months away, but (Subscription Required) ESPN is currently projecting that Alabama will earn the No. 5 seed in next year’s playoffs with Georgia earning the No. 1 spot as SEC Champions. They also project Texas to make the field as the No. 6 seed and LSU as the No. 10 seed.

Alabama’s Playoff run will start next season with a road trip to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in Week 1.

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