The Associated Press released its top 25 preseason college football poll on Monday, and Kalen DeBoer will start his tenure at the University of Alabama leading the fifth-ranked team in the nation.
At No. 5, the Crimson Tide will open a season at their lowest ranking since 2009, when they opened up at fifth. That season, the Tide went undefeated and eventually won the national championship.
Alabama is the third-highest-rated SEC team behind No. 1 Georgia and league newcomer No. 4 Texas. Nine total SEC teams made the preseason top 25, and Alabama is set to play against five of them: No. 1 Georgia, No. 11 Missouri, No. 13 LSU, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 16 Oklahoma.
No other teams from Alabama made the top 25, but Auburn University did receive votes to sit just outside of the top 25.
Alabama hosts Western Kentucky to open up the season on August 31 at 6 p.m. CT, and Auburn opens the season at home against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on August 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
See the full poll here.
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