Alabama gets its shot at Florida State with last year’s 31-17 upset still hanging in the background, and Kalen DeBoer isn’t pretending otherwise. The Crimson Tide are treating this as a new season, but they know exactly what happened the last time these teams met.
“In our minds, this is the 2026 team,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said this week. “I just talked to the team about that this morning. I know there are a lot of guys, including our staff, that certainly know what it felt like last year walking off that football field.
If Alabama is going to make that memory sting a little less, it starts with making Ashton Daniels miserable. Florida State’s quarterback has already had a rough stretch, and the source of the problem has been even clearer in the pocket.
Alabama’s pass rush, led by Yhonzae Pierre, Caleb Woodson and Devan Thompkins, has the chance to keep Daniels under constant pressure and force Florida State into a predictable offense that leans heavily on scramble runs. If the Tide keep winning up front, the Seminoles may have a hard time putting points on the board.
The other key is on Alabama’s side of the ball, where Keelon Russell still looks like a young quarterback finding his way. That’s understandable, but the timing matters.
After this game, Alabama’s schedule tightens fast with South Carolina, Mississippi State and then the run through Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU. Russell showed both sides of the learning curve against Kentucky, throwing two interceptions, including a pick-six, and taking a strip sack before settling in and helping Alabama finish with 32 unanswered points.
The cleaner he is early, the smoother this game should look.
Then there’s Ryan Coleman-Williams, one of Alabama’s most explosive weapons even if he isn’t the centerpiece of the offense. The issue has been his hands.
He’s been a notorious dropper, and the problems have shown up early this season. Before the year, Coleman-Williams was planning to go gloveless and catch barehanded, but a recent practice video showed him wearing gloves again.
Against his first opponent, he caught five of 10 targets for 130 yards, but the ball security issues still limited him. The next week, he finished with four catches for 43 yards.
For Alabama to get the full force of his game, he has to look more comfortable catching the ball and less dependent on using his body to help him secure it.
In Other News...
Keelon Russell May Have Changed Alabamas Ceiling Faster Than Expected
For a quarterback still finding his footing, Keelon Russell made Alabama look awfully grown up against Florida State. He helped drag the Crimson Tide out of a 21-6 hole, finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns, added 56 rushing yards and another score, and guided an offense that scored on seven straight possessions in a 50-36 win.
The bigger takeaway for Alabama is not just the comeback itself, but how quickly Russell appears to be raising the programs offensive ceiling. He was careful afterward to describe himself as still developing, which is probably the most intriguing part for the Tide: if this is the early version, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Kanell Takes Another Shot At Alabama Over Weather Delay
The Alabama-Florida State season opener turned into a long night of stops and starts after lightning pushed the game through multiple weather delays, turning what should have been a clean first look at both teams into a test of patience. As the interruptions stacked up, CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell took to social media and questioned whether the second delay was really necessary, adding another layer of scrutiny to a game already shaped by the weather.
Kanells comments quickly drew pushback, with the response centering on the safety standards that guide lightning-related suspensions rather than the feel of the storm from a TV booth or social media feed. Weather professionals then stepped in to explain the rules behind those decisions, a reminder that these delays are not made on instinct, even when they frustrate fans and analysts alike. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Gets An Early SEC Reality Check In New AP Poll
The first real stretch of SEC play has already started to reshape the AP top 25, and Alabama fans can see how unforgiving that weekly grind can be. Ole Miss win over LSU gave the Rebels another boost in the league race, while Florida moved into the rankings after a road win at Auburn, a reminder that early conference games can swing the national conversation fast.
Texas A&M also took a hit after falling to Kentucky, a result that only added to the sense that the leagues middle tier is still sorting itself out. For Alabama, the early poll movement serves as a useful checkpoint on what the SEC demands week after week, with contenders, sleepers and disappointments all starting to separate a little more clearly. [Read more 🡒]