Alabama Softball Ranked Top 8 Nationally; SEC Coaches Disagree

With less than two weeks until Alabama softball opening day, the national polls have come out. Along with them came the SEC Coaches Poll of how the conference will play out. And there seems to be a difference of opinion.

When it comes to the AFCA Coaches Polls complied for football in the fall, it is probably safe to say that most of them are filled out by someone other than the head coach. Conversely, the SEC Softball Coaches Poll opinions more likely come from each head coach.

In this poll, the conference coaches are not as high on the Crimson Tide as the national journalists are (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team). Alabama has preseason national rankings of 6, 7, and 8. However the coaches think the Tide finishes fourth in the conference.

UPDATE: NFCA finally released their preseason poll on Jan. 31 and they place Bama at No. 9. They have Florida 4 and Arky 7.

OBSERVATIONS

• Last year’s Bama squad began the season 2, 2, 3, and tops in the conference.
• Of their 57 regular season games, Team27 will face nine teams who are ranked in at least two polls in 18 games this season: Arkansas (3 games), Auburn (3), Duke (1), Florida State (1), LSU (3), Tennessee (3), Texas (2), UCF (1), UCLA (1).
• Mississippi State, Missouri, and Ole Miss (3 games each) are ranked in one poll.
• In the three polls, Tennessee is ranked 12, 12, and 13. Yet, the SEC coaches see them as the second best team in the conference.
• At 3, 3, and 2, Oklahoma State may have their highest preseason rankings ever. Hmm. I wonder if it is because of the transfers they brought in.

#RollTide #Team27