The long wait is over. Alabama football is back. It's been eight long months since the Crimson Tide finished off a disappointing 2024 season with an equally disappointing loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. It was a season that fell well short of the standard in Tuscaloosa.
But Kalen DeBoer enters year two riding a wave of momentum. The buy-in is high in the locker room. He added in the margins on the roster to fill holes. He's recruited at a higher level than anyone expected. Now comes the hard part: winning football games.
Because no amount of offseason momentum and positive energy means a thing to Alabama fans once the season kicks off. And we're just a few short hours away from that.
With Ty Simpson set to make his first career start, Alabama will look to open the season with a road win over Florida State. The Seminoles are equally anxious to erase the memory of a year ago. Mike Norvell's team bottomed out in 2024, falling to 2-10 after a 13-0 regular season in 2023.
With 40+ new faces on the roster, Florida State is one of the great mysteries in the 2025 college football season. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball - and a new QB in Boston College transfer Tommy Castellanos - the Seminoles could prove to be one of the nation's most improved teams this season.
For Alabama fans, they'll hope that improvement is gradual and it takes some time for all the new pieces in Tallahassee to gel.
Betting odds for Alabama vs. Florida State
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 8am ET on Saturday, August 30th.
Spread: Alabama -13.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Moneyline: Alabama -610
Final Staff Predictions:
Josh Yourish:
Building through the transfer portal is volatile; Florida State’s 2-10 record last season proved that. Now, Mike Norvell is hoping to pick up the pieces with a whole new crop of transfers and save his job, but he’s obviously outgunned against Alabama in Week 1. The Tide have one of the most talented defenses in the country, a veteran offensive line, and a dynamic group of pass-catchers. While there are questions at quarterback and running back, Kalen DeBoer has a roster capable of winning it all and deserving of being a two-touchdown favorite on the road on Saturday.
Yet, everything about this matcha reeks of a game that is closer than anticipated. Rain in the forecast could bog things down, and with run-plugging defensive tackle Tim Keenan III out, Alabama may struggle to slow down Gus Malzahn’s option-heavy run-first attack led by Thomas Castellanos. Especially considering Kane Wommack’s unit submitted its worst performance last season against Vanderbilt with a similar style of offense and an undersized scrambler at quarterback. Alabama wins, but never quite pulls away.
Alabama 31, Florida State 20
Ronald Evans:
Mark me down as one with no trepidation for the Gus Bus having rolled into Tallahassee months ago. What little magic Gus has left will not be enough to shock the Alabama defense. Despite a solid player in Darrell Jackson Jr, the Seminoles' defensive front will be no match for the Tide. Ty Simpson will play well, as will multiple running backs. Alabama will win and cover. Only a fourth-quarter thunderstorm will prevent a larger winning margin for Alabama.
Alabama 34, Florida State 17
Greg Bosworth:
Florida State is a complete mystery going into Saturday afternoon's game. Obviously, the Seminoles are going to be a much better team than the 2-10 team we all witnessed a year ago. Mike Norvell addressed many of the issues by bringing in Gus Malzahn to run the offense, and the defense should be much improved under former Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Tony White.
The offense with Ryan Grubb running the show will be what was expected last year, and it will be the FSU defense that will be tested early and often. Expect to see a consistent running game that was missing last year, as well as a passing attack that won’t be so frustrating for the fans. The running back room, even without Jam Miller, is stacked, and this is the best WR room in Tuscaloosa since the 2021 season.
This team has a lot to prove after last year and will need no motivation to perform tomorrow. Despite the mystery and improved Noles squad, this team is too talented and hungry for any upset potential. There will be no passivity, and though I expect a close first half, the Tide will pull away early in the 2nd half en route to a dominant win.
Alabama 42, Florida State 17
John Mitchell:
There's genuine concern about the weather forecast, but count me as a believer in what LT Overton said this week about that. This Alabama team has the mental makeup of a championship team - at least from everything we've seen, read, and heard this offseason. They've said all the right things. They've prepared hard. Now it's just about executing in a tough road environment.
The Gus Malzahn angle has been overblown - this ain't a Nick Saban defense he's going up against, and people tend to forget that he laid plenty of eggs against Alabama, too.
Malzahn's offense will do some work in between the 20s, but I think Alabama's defense will stiffen up consistently in the red zone and force field goals. I don't expect an outright blowout, but I do think Alabama keeps Florida State at bay for most of the afternoon before punching in a fourth-quarter touchdown that puts the game to bed.
Alabama 31, Florida State 13