Is it possible that the Florida State Seminoles will feel no pressure taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide? The FSU-themed site Chop Chat thinks that it is. The premise runs counter to FSU players and coaches talking about desperation to succeed in 2025.
Chop Chat's position is "Who has more pressure? Well, FSU is a large betting underdog at +13.5 at home against a quarterback with 50 career pass attempts making his first start in a hostile environment. Nobody realistically expects FSU to win the game, and some Alabama fans expect the Crimson Tide to blow the Noles out by more than three touchdowns."
The Alabama Crimson Tide is a heavy favorite. ESPN Analytics gives Alabama a 90.6% probability of winning. That is a high probability for a road team against a Power Four foe. But early-season games are difficult to predict.
High Expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide should be too good for the Seminoles. An FSU upset would take Alabama doing much to beat itself. Still, Chop Chat is correct, Alabama has weight on its shoulders that FSU does not share. In the minds of many Crimson Tide fans, losing four games in any season is worse than the 2-10 record FSU had last season.
Additionally, a few national college football experts are now predicting the Crimson Tide will not only win the SEC Championship and the National Championship.
Chop Chat contends that an FSU upset would portend "Alabama’s season might be over before it gets started." An Alabama loss in the season-opener would be a major blow. It would not mean that any of Alabama's goals were lost. Though not devastating, Alabama's margin for error would be seriously reduced.
Something Florida State faithful may not understand is that the Alabama Crimson Tide plays under pressure in every game. It is not always pressure to win, but it is always to play to its standard, performing as its best self. That has not changed with Kalen DeBoer. Bring on the 2025 pressure!