The Crimson Tide jumped to No. 2 in the Associated Press ranking on the strength of a dominating 41-30 victory over Georgia on national television on Saturday night. The No. 2 ranking represents the highest ranking for Alabama since 1993, when the Crimson Tide opened the season at No. 2 and stayed there for seven weeks before a 17-17 tie with Tennessee in Birmingham dropped the Tide to No. 4.
Alabama (5-0) was No. 3 at the beginning of the 2000 season and was ranked third for two consecutive weeks in 2005, but has been no higher since Gene Stallings stepped down as Alabama's coach in 1996.
Alabama had a little help from others as three top 10 teams lost in games this past week, then took care of the fourth by thrashing then No. 3 Georgia on ESPN Saturday night. The Tide's dominating 31-point lead at the half was enough to propel them past LSU and Texas, which won on Saturday, and Missouri, which was idle.
The win also garnered Alabama 21 first-place votes, leaving the Tide just 34 points behind top-ranked Oklahoma, but Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban wasn't prepared to lobby for a No. 1 ranking just yet.
"It doesn't matter where you are until the end," he said. "It's the only time it counts, does any good to be No. 1, is the way I look at it.
Crimson Tide rises to No. 2 in AP poll
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