The College Football Playoff National Championship matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame is still a few days away, but sportsbooks have already released the odds for next season’s College Football Playoff title game.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first year with Alabama resulted in a 9-4 record. The Crimson Tide failed to win 10 games for the first time since 2007 when Nick Saban debuted on the sidelines at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Missing the 12-team CFP was a bad way to start the DeBoer era, but it was reasonable to expect a decline in Year 1. Alabama’s 2025-26 national championship odds show what Tide fans can expect heading into the long offseason.
2025-26 Alabama National Championship odds (+1200)
*Odds as of 1/16:
- +1200 at DraftKings
- +1200 at Fanatics
- +1400 at bet365
- +1400 at FanDuel
The odds vary slightly depending on which sportsbook you check, but each operator gives Alabama the sixth-best odds to win the national championship. The teams listed above the Crimson Tide include Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Oregon and Penn State.
Alabama’s upcoming schedule is largely unchanged from 2024. The conference opponents are the same, but home-field advantage will switch for each matchup. The Crimson Tide’s toughest games come against Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and Auburn.
One notable difference with next season’s schedule comes in Week 1, when Alabama faces Florida State in Tallahassee. The Seminoles would typically be a tough opponent, but FSU’s 2-10 record in 2024 was one of the biggest shockers of the year.
Alabama’s season wasn’t nearly as disappointing, but failing to earn a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff left a sour taste. The highlights included wins over Georgia and LSU, and the lowlights came in losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Michigan. The Crimson Tide was a double-digit favorite in three of the defeats.
The transfer portal has evened the playing field; elite programs like Alabama no longer have the roster depth of previous years. When another team can offer a large NIL deal to second or third-stringers, the Crimson Tide may not be willing to match.
Building a team through recruiting is still the recipe for sustained success, and Alabama continues to dominate. According to 247Sports, the Crimson Tide ranked second in the most recent cycle and picked up the No. 2 recruit in the nation.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
QB Jalen Milroe, G Tyler Booker, S Malachi Moore and LB Jihaad Campbell are leaving Tuscaloosa and entering the NFL Draft. Luckily, stars like WR Ryan Williams, WR Germie Bernard and LB Deontae Lawson will return in 2025.
Retaining three starting offensive linemen will be crucial for the next starting QB. Milroe’s replacement hasn’t been named, as Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack will compete for the starting job.
Simpson is entering his fourth season with the Tide and is seemingly the frontrunner after spending 2024 learning DeBoer’s system. The former five-star recruit projects to be a better passer than Milroe but less mobile. However, few players can run like Milroe and Simpson has the athleticism to make plays with his legs.
Russell is a player to watch in the QB battle. The incoming freshman was the second-best player in the last recruiting cycle and promises to be Alabama’s QB of the future. Time will tell if DeBoer gives Russell an opportunity in his first season.
Getting Williams and Bernard back is crucial for whichever QB is under center in 2025. The duo combined for 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. No other Alabama pass catchers had more than 25 catches or 300 yards.
The Tide acquired some depth by grabbing former Miami WR Isaiah Horton from the transfer portal. Horton recorded 56 catches, 616 yards and five touchdowns last season.
The defense benefits from the return of standouts like Lawson, S Keon Sabb, CB Domani Jackson and CB Zabien Brown. The secondary will be a strength, however, DB DeVonta Smith entered the transfer portal and joined Notre Dame.
