Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
When: 3:30 p.m.
TV: ABC
Weather: 83 degrees, 60% rain chance
Favorite: Alabama by 13.5 points
Coaches: Mike Norvell, 6th season at FSU, 33-27 (71-42 overall); Kalen DeBoer, 2nd season at Alabama, 9-4 (113-16 overall).
Quick slant: Other than Florida, FSU has not hosted an SEC team since 1991 (South Carolina) … A renovated Doak Campbell Stadium features chair-back seats on the west sideline and will now seat 67,277. There is also a new video board in the north end zone … Alabama has never played at FSU.
About FSU (0-0): The Seminoles have 49 new players, including 22 transfers from Division I programs who have a combined 293 starts … This is also the debut of six new FSU assistant coaches, including three who were on UCF’s staff (offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, offensive line coach Herb Hand and wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr.) … Norvell has four wins over SEC teams, a pair vs. LSU and Florida (2022-23)
About No. 8 Alabama (0-0): The Crimson Tide will be without their leading returning rusher in Jam Miller (collarbone) and could be without star defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (ankle) due to injury. A starting offensive lineman, Jaeden Roberts, is in the concussion protocol. … Alabama lost at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma in what was a 9-4 season in 2024. DeBoer said the Crimson Tide need to start fast at FSU to avoid road troubles in their opener.
Three things to watch
Navigating the emotions: For Alabama, which had its road struggles in 2024, there are questions. How will Simpson fare in his first college start? While Alabama’s strength is its offensive line, who will be the primary tailback? For FSU, there’s no shortage of pressure on QB Thomas Castellanos — and a new-look offensive line. The enthusiasm in the stadium will be intense from the start. Will the players feed off the energy? And what happens if the Seminoles fall behind — will the leadership be there to regroup?
2. Who runs with the most consistency? This is a worn-out cliché, but a reliable key in many games. FSU was 129th among the 134 FBS teams in rush offense (89.9 rushing yards per game) and 107th in rush defense (184.6 rushing yards per game) in 2024. Malzahn wants to run and had top-five rushing offenses at UCF, while White had top-25 rush defenses at Nebraska. Can FSU run and defend the Alabama ground attack? It’s one that won’t have Miller but will have Louisiana transfer Dre Washington (1,343 yards, nine TDs in four seasons).
3. New pieces for FSU vs. new pieces for Alabama: FSU will feature nine first-year transfers starting on offense, including four on the offensive line. Will there be communication or continuity issues, especially in a new scheme under Malzahn? And while there are four new transfers expected to start for FSU on defense, the same can be said about a new scheme under Tony White. The Crimson Tide didn’t release a preseason depth chart, but Alabama could be down three starters and had seven of last year’s players drafted in the NFL. There aren’t any preseason games, and this feels like a lot of “new” for FSU and Alabama — it’s an intangible that could lead to mistakes or turnovers.
