Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) is tackled by Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman David Stone (0) during the third quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov 15, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

For the first time since late August, Alabama football is enduring the searing sting of a loss.

The No. 4 Crimson Tide (No. 4 in College Football Playoff rankings) saw their eight-game win streak snapped on Saturday, Nov. 15 in a 23-21 loss to No. 10 Oklahoma at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Coach Kalen DeBoer’s team fell, despite outgaining the Sooners by a 406-212 margin. Alabama was undone, however, by three turnovers that led to 17 Oklahoma points, including an intercepted Ty Simpson pass that was returned 87 yards for a touchdown by Sooners defensive back Eli Bowen.

The loss snapped a 17-game home win streak for the Crimson Tide and was their first home setback against an SEC opponent since 2019.

Alabama’s surge since an unsightly 31-17 loss to Florida State in its season opener allowed it to rise all the way to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff selection committee rankings and the US LBM Coaches Poll. It still has a navigable path to the playoff even with Saturday’s loss, but what will the defeat mean for its standing in the major national polls?

Here’s a look at where Alabama may fall in the Coaches Poll:

Alabama football rankings: Where will Crimson Tide drop after OU loss?

Entering Saturday, Alabama was one of 10 teams from the Power Four conferences with fewer than two losses this season.

With the setback against Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide are now part of a more crowded group of teams with at least two losses.

There are some facets of Alabama’s resume that allow it to stand out in that jumbled mess. The Crimson Tide have four wins against teams that were ranked in the top 15 nationally at the time of their matchup, a run highlighted by a 24-21 win at No. 5 Georgia on Sept. 27. Two of those victories, against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, came by two scores.

Still, even before Saturday, there were reasons to believe they maybe weren’t quite as good as their major national rankings.

For all of its success the past two months, Alabama struggled mightily to run the ball, ranking 119th among 136 FBS teams in rushing yards per game and 120th in yards per carry. It was No. 11 in ESPN’s SP+ rankings entering Week 12, putting it fifth among SEC teams. While it could be written off as a Week 1 anomaly, its loss to Florida State hasn’t aged particularly well, as the Seminoles have lost five of their past six games to fall to 4-5.

Complicating matters for DeBoer’s squad is that Week 12 games went largely as expected, with ranked and favored opponents beating overwhelmed opponents (or, in Texas A&M’s case, mounting a historic comeback). Entering the evening slate of games Saturday, the only teams ranked behind Alabama in the Coaches Poll that had lost were Louisville, Cincinnati and Pitt — all the way back at No. 21, No. 22 and No. 23, respectively.

Even with Nick Saban enjoying a life of relative leisure away from the sideline, Alabama will likely get more grace from voters than most other programs in a similar situation would. But it may only help the Crimson Tide so much.

Final prediction: No. 9

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama football ranking after Oklahoma upset: Where will Crimson Tide fall in top 25?

Reporting by Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect