Nate Oats faces a tight timeframe to analyze Alabama’s recent defeat against Auburn, especially with a challenging schedule on the horizon for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide.

Following their loss to the top-ranked Tigers in a significant 1-vs-2 matchup, Alabama enters a grueling period consisting of seven consecutive games against ranked opponents to finish the regular season. This daunting series is particularly intense, considering the Southeastern Conference’s depth, which includes nine ranked teams. The Tide’s next challenges include a match against No. 15 Missouri on Wednesday and a home game against No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday, both key contests within the current AP Top 25 standings.

“This is definitely a tough stretch; the last seven games may be the most challenging in the country at any point during the season,” Oats remarked to the media following the loss to Auburn. “We have three home games and three road games in the six remaining contests. We must step up.”

Oats’s observation holds weight; no other ranked team has a schedule as rigorous as Alabama’s in the coming weeks. After this week, Alabama (21-4, 10-2) is scheduled to host No. 21 Mississippi State, travel to No. 6 Tennessee, welcome No. 2 Florida, and revisit Auburn. As of Monday, only one team—No. 14 Michigan State—faces a comparable number of ranked opponents left on their schedule. Notably, 21 teams within the most recent AP Top 25 have three or fewer contests against ranked foes remaining.

To illustrate, Alabama’s remaining opponents surpass in quantity the combined total faced by No. 3 Duke, No. 10 St. John’s, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 13 Purdue, No. 16 Marquette, No. 18 Clemson, No. 22 Memphis, and No. 25 Louisville, which altogether have four ranked opponents left.

The Crimson Tide secured the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament’s preliminary rankings released on Saturday. This challenging schedule was notable for committee chairman Bubba Cunningham, who highlighted its significance when discussing Alabama’s potential tournament outlook. “The upcoming schedule for Alabama is truly remarkable,” Cunningham stated, also the athletic director at North Carolina.

As the Tide eyes a potential 1-seed and the opportunity to contest for the top spot in the SEC, they will need to navigate the next few weeks with resilience and consistency.

User’s team, the seventh-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, is also grappling with a demanding schedule, set to face four ranked opponents. Their critical bouts include a trip to Mississippi State on Tuesday followed by a home game against Tennessee on Saturday. The Aggies (20-5, 9-3 SEC) experienced a rise in the rankings, hitting a season-high during the Buzz Williams era, marking their best standing since peaking at No. 5 on Christmas Day in 2017.

Meanwhile, Michigan State is preparing for its own significant rivalry week, featuring two matchups against ranked teams. The Spartans (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) will host No. 13 Purdue on Tuesday before traveling to face No. 12 Michigan on Friday. Last year, Michigan State won both encounters with their in-state rival, marking the first season sweep since winning all three in 2019. The rivalry continues as the Wolverines are set to visit East Lansing for the season finale on March 9.

In the Big 12, No. 5 Houston is well-positioned to contend for the regular season title. They can make significant progress with a crucial game against No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday following an away game against Arizona State. The Cougars (21-1, 13-1) entered the week with a two-game lead over No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 19 Arizona, the only team to hand Houston a conference loss this season. A rematch between those teams is scheduled for the following Monday at Texas Tech.

On the watch list, New Mexico emerged as the leading unranked team in Monday’s poll. The Lobos (22-4, 14-1 Mountain West Conference) will play just once this week, facing Boise State on Wednesday. Following them is Saint Mary’s, which is on track to secure the regular-season title in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels (23-4, 13-1) will host Portland on Wednesday, then visit second-place Gonzaga (20-7, 11-3) on Saturday. Both New Mexico and Saint Mary’s are vying for their first appearances in the AP Top 25 this season.