Yhonzae Pierre sits inside a rare Alabama preseason story: the program opened outside the Top 10 for the first time since 2008. That drop lands as handicappers reassess Kalen DeBoer’s roster, and it is already showing up in power ratings, where the split is sharper than the brand name suggests.
Ed Salmons said, “Alabama could not run the ball last season,” and added, “That was never an issue at the height of their powers under Nick Saban. I like Kalen DeBoer and there’s always going to be talent there, but they must get back to running the ball.” He was pointing to the same issue that makes the ranking sting: Alabama finished 11-4 last year and lost 38-3 to eventual champion Indiana.
2008 in Tuscaloosa
2008 is the last time Alabama opened this low in the preseason Top 10, when Nick Saban was in his second season in Tuscaloosa. That team finished 12-2 after a Sugar Bowl loss to undefeated Utah, so the current placement reads as a clear break from the recent Saban-era baseline rather than a routine preseason wobble.
One former bookmaker turned bettor put it bluntly: “I have Alabama eighth.” He also listed Ohio State one, Notre Dame and Oregon tied at two, Texas four, Georgia and Indiana tied at five, and Miami seven. His case leaned on structure rather than brand memory: “Alabama acquired a ton of talent in the transfer portal, and they added five transfers in the offensive line room. So DeBoer clearly addressed their weaknesses. And the quarterback is young, but he’s a five-star recruit.”
11th and 13th
Motoi Pearson had Alabama 11th, and Brad Powers had the Tide 13th. Those numbers matter because they frame Alabama as a fringe top-10 team to some evaluators and a clear notch below that line to others, with the disagreement centered on how much the transfer additions can offset last season’s running-game problems.
That divide also explains why the market does not treat the preseason ranking as settled. The bettor who placed Alabama eighth said, “I admit I’m probably a little high, mostly because I believe in team pedigree and I like their coaching staff. That said, the market took 28.5 and 28 with East Carolina over the last few days, so that was interesting.”
Caesars on Monday night
Joey Feazel said the sportsbook wrote a sizable bet on Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz at 80/1, and he called him the worst result for the book at this point in time. “For us, it’s Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz,” he said. “We wrote a sizable bet on him at 80/1 for a big number. So that’s the easy answer. There are a lot more tickets on John Mateer and Arch Manning, but Kienholz would be the worst result for us at this point in time.”
Feazel also said, “[Florida State] left a lot to be desired against New Mexico State,” and added, “They’ve struggled for a couple years now, and it looks like it’s going to be one-way action. The line is holding steady around 3, but we were at 1.5 and 2 before Week 0.” He said, “It’ll be one of our biggest handled college games of the year because it’s the only game Monday night and the NFL isn’t back yet.”
For Alabama, the practical read is simple: the preseason market is treating the Tide like a team that has to prove its line play before bettors move them back into the top tier. If the run game does not return, the 11th-to-13th cluster is the more realistic number than the eighth-place optimism.
