College Football rankings: Where does Alabama rank now after Nick Saban retirement?

The last time that the Alabama Crimson Tide were on the football field, it was at Rose Bowl Stadium, where they lost 27-20 in overtime to the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Little did everyone know that it would be the last game for head coach Nick Saban.

On Wednesday, the college football world was stunned after ESPN's Chris Low reported that Saban was retiring from coaching. Later that night, Saban officially announced his retirement in a press release from Alabama.

Saban is synonymous with success in all of sports, considering he won seven national championships at the collegiate level, six of which took place leading the Crimson Tide. Now, the program has to find his replacement. While the team should be able to land a huge name, there is going to be plenty of uncertainty regarding the coaching staff and roster.

So, how does Saban's retirement affect Alabama's status entering the 2024 season?

College football rankings: Where should Alabama rank heading into 2024 season after Nick Saban's retirement?

Fans are probably going to wonder where the Crimson Tide will rank heading into the 2024 campaign. That will not be easy to determine, as there is no idea who will be leading the team and which players were arrive and lead.

FanSided senior editor Cody Williams released a "Way-Too-Early Top 25 projections for next season" article after the CFP National Championship Game. Alabama was initially ranked No. 3. But after the Saban news, Williams dropped the Crimson Tide down to the No. 6 spot.

"Just to be frank, ranking Alabama that high was largely due to the respect that I have for Saban and the consistency he's shown in Tuscaloosa," writes Williams. "The Crimson Tide are going to hire another stud, of that I have no doubt. But it's still a replacement and adds another element of unknown to a roster that, frankly, I'm not fully convinced is going to be up to Bama standards.

"For all of the strides that Jalen Milroe made throughout the year, he was somewhat exposed in the Rose Bowl loss to Michigan. With the ramped-up SEC schedule, that could be a big issue if he doesn’t take a step forward. Meanwhile, the skill positions will likely still be unproven, though the upside of Justice Haynes at running back is enticing, and the offensive line will need a ton of work to improve. Throw in some big defensive losses and things are less certain than some seem to believe. Without Saban, that could be magnified tenfold."

It's hard to disagree. The program should still be in relatively good shape, and will likely land a top coaching candidate to lead the Crimson Tide for years to come. But as of now, there is so much uncertainty, that we won't know the structure of the team until. even after a hiring is made official.

Alabama players will have until 30 days after Saban's retirement to enter the transfer portal. There could be a lot of movement with the news that the seven-time national champion head coach is retiring.

Shortly after the report of Saban's retirement was broken, five-star wide receiver recruit Ryan Williams decommitted from Alabama and will sign with a new program in February. That is a huge loss, considering Williams was ranked in the Top 10 in the 2024 class by On3 Sports.

As for who could replace Saban, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is seen as the top choice for Alabama, per Action Network's Brett McMurphy. However, Lanning carries a $20 million buyout, so it will be costly.

Alabama should still be a top 10, fringe top five team entering the 2024 season. But, having Saban makes the Crimson Tide an infinitely better team.