Ty Simpson helped Alabama avoid another Vanderbilt upset to keep the Crimson Tide as the SEC favorites, and the league took a major hit with Texas's loss at Florida.
In 2024, Alabama ascended to the No. 1 spot in the country with an SEC-opening win over Georgia. The Crimson Tide looked like the national title favorites in Kalen DeBoer’s first year, and then everything unraveled a week later in Nashville. Diego Pavia became a legendary Alabama villain, and the Tide missed the CFP.