Alabama’s running game wasn’t good enough in 2025. It averaged only 109.9 rushing yards per game, ranked No. 118 among 136 FBS teams. It forced the offense to be one dimensional, and the lack of a running game allowed opposing defenses to focus more on stopping the pass.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Indiana Hoosiers picks, predictions, odds, win probabilities for College Football Playoff Orange Bowl game Jan. 1. Who wins?

Where the Crimson Tide stands in ESPN's Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, KenPom ratings and NET rankings one game into SEC play.

Alabama football’s run game was as bad as it has been in decades during the 2025 season. No running back emerged as a star for the Crimson Tide, and when it came time to win crucial games late in the year, the burden fell entirely on Ty Simpson and the passing attack.

The Kentucky men’s basketball team dropped its first SEC game of the season Saturday to No. 14 Alabama, 89-74. Alabama’s high-powered offense was on full display, making 15 three-pointers and having five players score in double figures.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense held Alabama to just 193 total yards. Indiana earned its first win in a bowl game since 1991, while Alabama suffered its biggest loss in any game since 1998.

Of the 13 losses suffered by SEC teams since the playoff began in 2014, Alabama’s 35-point margin of defeat on New Year’s Day was seven points larger than the previous blowout record. Saban’s 2018 team lost the title game to Clemson 44-16.