This URL originally contained a power-rankings style article with projected records, playoff assumptions, and matchup claims that no longer matched the verified 2025 season. It has been rebuilt as an archive note with final context.
Final Context That Replaced the Projection
- Iron Bowl: Alabama beat Auburn 27-20 on November 29, 2025.
- Auburn: The Tigers did not reach the CFP race described in the older version.
- SEC Championship: Georgia beat Alabama 28-7.
- CFP: Alabama made the field as the No. 9 seed, beat Oklahoma in the first round, and lost to No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
Why the Old Power Ranking Was Reworked
Power rankings can be useful when they are clearly dated and sourced. The previous version mixed an October publication date with claims that did not fit the actual Alabama and Auburn schedule, including incorrect opponents, invented playoff positioning, and confident CFP projections.
That kind of article ages badly because it reads like a live forecast even after the season is complete. The corrected version keeps the page indexed but turns it into a transparent record of what actually happened.
How To Handle This Kind of Article Going Forward
A power-ranking article should preserve its timestamp, name the ranking source if it is not purely editorial, and include a later update once final standings are known. If a ranking is editorial, it should not invent records or playoff odds. If it uses CFP rankings, it should cite the official CFP release for that week.
For an Iron Bowl-focused site, the stronger evergreen angle is narrower: how Alabama's final CFP path and Auburn's coaching transition changed the rivalry context. That gives the page a durable reason to exist beyond a generic SEC list.
Sources reviewedExpand
Reference notes
MethodologyUpdated May 13, 2026: This page was rebuilt to remove unsupported midseason rankings, invented schedule paths, and live CFP projections. It now preserves the URL as a sourced archive note.
Official source for Alabama's CFP ranking movement and Selection Day placement.
Official CFP source for Alabama's No. 9 seed, first-round Oklahoma win, Rose Bowl loss to Indiana, and the final bracket path.
Used to verify the 2025 Iron Bowl result and team records entering the game.
Used to verify the SEC Championship result that changed Alabama's CFP seeding context.