With just over a month until kickoff, Alabama football is currently a heavy road favorite for its tilt in Tallahassee against Florida State. FanDuel has the Crimson Tide as a 13.5-point favorite. The Seminoles are coming off a disappointing 2-10 season, but made some major roster changes in the Transfer Portal for a pivotal season for head coach Mike Norvell.
The most significant additions were QB Thomas Castellanos from Boston College, who has had plenty to say this offseason about the matchup with Alabama. Perhaps more significantly is the addition of Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator. Things had stagnated for Malzhan as the head coach at UCF, and he abandoned his post in Orlando to call plays for Norvell in Tallahassee.
The former Auburn coach has given Alabama plenty of fits in the past. In eight Iron Bowls, Malzahn beat Alabama three times. His scheme consistently caused issues for Nick Saban's defense, even in Tide victories.
And yet, somehow, those old Alabama vs. Auburn matchups are being used to justify this game against Florida State being more challenging for Alabama than some are giving it credit for. Even though, you know, Saban is gone. Kalen DeBoer is running the show for Alabama now, and Kane Wommack's defensive scheme is markedly different from what Malzhan is used to seeing from the Tide.
In fact, Alabama might have a small schematic advantage in familiarity not afforded to Florida State in this contest.
Kane Wommack is familiar with Gus Malzhan's system from his playing days
Kane Wommack's defense has never faced a Gus Malzahn offense. But the advantage Wommack has is knowing Malzhan's system from the inside. How? He played in it. Wommack was a fullback/tight end for Arkansas in 2006, the lone season Malzhan spent in Fayetteville as the team's offensive coordinator.
Obviously, a lot can and has changed in 19 years. Malzahn's offense is different today than it was in 2006, but there are still some similarities. And that familiarity for Wommack and the Tide's defense is more than Malzhan has against this version of Alabama.
Relative success against Nick Saban will have zero impact on the game at the end of August. Saban will be in Columbus, Ohio for College GameDay.
The one concerning trend for Alabama is Wommack's defense struggling at times last season against running quarterbacks. USF's Byrum Brown and Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold both eclipsed 100 rushing yards against the Crimson Tide last season. However, Alabama also did an exceptional job against South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, holding him to 19 yards on the ground.
Athletic linebackers like Justin Jefferson and Qua Russaw will be key in keeping Castellanos contained. If Alabama can take away the QB run, Malzahn will have to adjust on the fly and hope the Seminoles can find success through the air against arguably the best secondary in college football.
Wommack will have his defense well prepared against his former offensive coordinator. And the Malzahn magic was left behind on the Plains.