Florida State heads into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a chance to see how it stacks up against a No. 10 Alabama team that has been rolling at home against unranked opponents for years.
The Seminoles and Crimson Tide kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the forecast calling for 97 degrees and a 10% chance of rain. Alabama is favored by 19.5 points.
This matchup comes with a little extra weight from recent history. Alabama is 3-2-1 all-time against Florida State, and the Seminoles beat the Crimson Tide 31-17 in 2025. Since 2007, only four schools have beaten Alabama in back-to-back seasons: LSU in 2010-11, Ole Miss in 2014-15, Michigan in 2023-24 and Oklahoma in 2024-25.
For Mike Norvell’s team, the early-season numbers show a group that has been efficient when it gets close to the goal line. Florida State is 8-for-8 in red-zone drives, one of only 13 FBS teams to stay perfect through at least eight trips. Duce Robinson, though, has not yet been a major factor after a 1,000-yard season in 2025, catching just five passes for 75 yards over the first two games.
Norvell also said defensive lineman Darryll Desir missed the SMU game on Labor Day because of injury. Florida State does not issue an availability report for non-conference games, but Desir is expected to return against Alabama.
Alabama, meanwhile, has been exactly what you’d expect at home against an unranked opponent: relentless. The Crimson Tide have won 89 straight home games against unranked teams, a run that stretches back to November 2007.
Kalen DeBoer has been especially strong when his team gets ahead early, going 19-1 at Alabama when leading at halftime. The flip side is less forgiving: he is 1-7 at Alabama when trailing at the break.
One of the biggest questions is whether Florida State can create enough offensive balance to make Alabama work. The Seminoles need the run game to keep drives alive, but Alabama is likely to crowd the box and challenge them to throw. If Daniels can find Robinson, Micahi Danzy, Jayvan Boggs and Jasen Lopez more consistently, that could help open things up against the Tide secondary.
The other matchup to watch is Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell against a Florida State defense that has already made a habit of taking the ball away. Russell turned it over three times in the first half at Kentucky, his first road start, with two interceptions and a fumble underscoring how much he still has to clean up. On the other side, cornerback Quindarrius Jones has already produced an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as part of a Seminole defense that has collected five takeaways in two games.
Then there’s Alabama’s ground game against Florida State’s front. Last year, the Seminoles set the tone physically in their upset of the Crimson Tide, holding Alabama to 87 rushing yards on 29 carries.
Russell gives Alabama more mobility than Ty Simpson did in 2025, but the Tide also bring a 234-pound hammer in Daniel Hill, who has helped power 382 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns through two games. The question is whether Florida State can slow that down.
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Florida State will get that chance soon enough, and it has a few openings to exploit if Alabamas early-season strengths prove fragile. Russells first stretch has been encouraging in spots, and the offensive line has had moments of stability, but both remain areas the Seminoles can force into a longer, harder afternoon. For a Florida State team looking to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers, those are exactly the kind of pressure points worth attacking. [Read more 🡒]