Alabama’s trip to Kentucky is in the rearview mirror, and the focus now shifts to Sept. 19, when the Crimson Tide host Florida State in Tuscaloosa with win No. 3 of the 2026 season on the line.
This one comes with a little extra edge. Alabama had won every season opener since 2002 before Mike Norvell and the Seminoles snapped that streak last season in Tallahassee. Now it’s Kalen DeBoer’s group welcoming Florida State to its place, and the matchup brings a few clear battlegrounds that could swing the night.
One of the biggest will be Alabama’s secondary against a Florida State passing game that has spread the ball around early. Ashton Daniels has worked the field to multiple targets through two games, with Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy and Jayvan Boggs each sitting between four and six catches for a combined 144 yards. Running back Samuel Singleton Jr. has been even more central as a receiver, leading the Seminoles in every receiving category with six grabs for 94 yards and both of Daniels’ touchdown passes.
That kind of distribution will test a Crimson Tide defensive back group that has been talked up as one of the nation’s best. Cornerbacks Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee Jr. are the names to circle first, but Husky Red Morgan also figures to matter. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has pointed to the depth in the secondary, and that depth will be under the microscope with safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb joined by reserves Ivan Taylor, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and Jireh Edwards.
The other side of the ball brings a chance for Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell to rebound. Against Kentucky, Russell was shaky, especially in the first half, when he committed three turnovers.
Florida State hasn’t exactly been airtight against the pass, either, ranking 124th among 138 FBS teams in passing yards allowed at 351 per game. That sets up a chance for Russell to work more freely through the air.
Of course, Florida State has a linebacker who can make that job a lot harder. Chris Jones has been a force since arriving from Southern Miss after two seasons there.
In 2025, he piled up 134 total tackles, which ranked seventh nationally, along with 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception. He was also an All-Sun Belt First Team selection and had eight games with at least 10 tackles.
Through two games this season, he is tied for the team lead with 15 tackles.
Florida State’s offense is not just about the arm, though. Daniels remains a dangerous runner, and Alabama has already seen what he can do on the ground.
In last year’s Iron Bowl for Auburn, he threw for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding 108 rushing yards on 23 carries. Through two games in 2026, he has run for 71 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per rush.
Then there’s Ousmane Kromah, another important piece in the Seminoles’ attack. He has 36 carries for 231 yards, a 6.4-yard average, and two touchdowns. Twenty-two of those attempts, 116 of those yards and one of those scores came in Florida State’s 27-24 loss to SMU, when he produced against the then-No. 19 team in the country.
Still, Alabama’s front has been sturdy against the run. The Crimson Tide are fifth nationally in rushing yards allowed at 32.5 per game, and they have been especially strong on third-and-short, where opponents have converted just once in 23 tries. If Florida State wants to lean on the ground game in those spots, it will be walking into a defense that has been difficult to move.
Reigning SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week Caleb Woodson is one player to watch in that area, along with conference Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week Devan Thompkins.
In Other News...
Alabama's Mike Norvell Near-Miss Looks Even Bigger Now
When Nick Saban announced his retirement in January 2024, Mike Norvell surfaced as a serious name in Alabamas search, with reports indicating he had moved into advanced talks with the Crimson Tides athletic director. In the end, Norvell stayed at Florida State after landing a contract extension, closing what looked at the time like one of the biggest coaching possibilities of the offseason.
Since then, the backdrop in Tallahassee has only grown shakier, with Florida States football fortunes sliding and the programs athletic director recently being fired. For Alabama fans looking back on that search, the near-miss feels more significant now, because the decision to stay put has placed Norvell in a far more uncertain spot than the one he passed up. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell May Have Changed Alabamas Ceiling Faster Than Expected
Keelon Russell gave Alabama a jolt in the comeback win over Florida State, and he did it with the kind of poise that can change how a season feels in a hurry. Down 21-6, the quarterback helped the Crimson Tide score on seven straight possessions, finishing 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns while adding 56 rushing yards and another score in the 50-36 victory.
For Alabama, the performance was about more than one flashy afternoon. Russell still described himself as a quarterback in development afterward, which is the part that should make the rest of the sport take notice, because if this is where he is while still growing into the job, the ceiling in Tuscaloosa may have moved up faster than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Power Struggles Keep Reshaping The World Around Alabama
Conference disputes have become a defining backdrop for the sport Alabama lives in, with schools and leagues repeatedly testing just how much control each side really has. LSUs effort to add former NFL training camp players to its roster and the SECs response is only the latest reminder that the ground around college football keeps shifting, whether it is a coach suspension in the Big Ten, Florida States lawsuit against the ACC over media rights or Washingtons sanctions from the old Pac-10.
For Alabama, the bigger point is how often these fights reshape the competitive landscape before anyone plays a game. Texas A&Ms move into the SEC came out of frustration with the Big 12, and the pattern is familiar enough now that each new dispute feels like another sign of a sport still working through who has leverage, who gets heard and what happens when schools decide their conference no longer fits the job they want done. [Read more 🡒]