Florida State’s trip to Alabama comes with the kind of pressure that doesn’t need much explaining. The Seminoles have dropped nine straight road games, and snapping that skid in Tuscaloosa would be a serious lift. But the odds are long, and the situation around the program has already turned sour enough that another loss would only sharpen the mood.
The biggest path to an upset is pretty clear: FSU has to hold up better in pass protection and get off the field on third down. Alabama’s pass rush has been far more disruptive than it was a year ago, producing 50% more pressure through two weeks in 2026 than it did in 2025. On top of that, the Crimson Tide currently sit as the No. 1 third-down defense in the country.
That’s a bad matchup for Ashton Daniels, who has been pressured on 38% of his drop-backs so far. And even when the rush isn’t immediately there, Daniels has at times drifted into pressure that the offensive line had actually handled. Florida State also hasn’t shown much quick-game offense on film yet, which makes this a pretty good time to start.
Around the broader college football scene, national attention may be on Lane Kiffin and LSU heading to Ole Miss, while SMU and Louisville also stand out as a sneaky strong top-25 matchup.
For Florida State, though, the focus is much narrower. The next stretch is brutal: Central Arkansas follows Alabama, and then comes three straight ranked opponents in Virginia, Louisville and Miami. If the Seminoles do lose again, the path ahead only gets steeper.
Next week’s home game against Central Arkansas is already a sellout, with a 3:00 p.m. kickoff and Mike Norvell facing his alma mater.
There’s also movement around the ‘Protect College Sports Act (PCSA)’. The House is in recess, so even if the bill passes, it won’t become law until after the mid-term elections. Senator Rick Scott, meanwhile, has said he does not support the ‘PCSA’ in its current form.
And with football taking center stage, there are still six weeks left until FSU hoops returns.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Leaving Colorado Would Take More Than Florida State Interest
Deion Sanders has Colorado off to a 2-0 start in 2026, a sharp follow-up to last seasons 3-9 finish, and that alone says plenty about why any conversation around Florida State has to start with what he has built in Boulder. He has more freedom there than most coaches ever get, and the Buffaloes early-season momentum only strengthens the case that he is operating from a position of control, not urgency.
Florida States interest may be real, especially with the Seminoles looking at a possible coaching change after recent administrative shifts, but interest alone does not move this kind of decision. Sanders would have to navigate a hefty buyout, a previous rejection from FSU, his comfort level at Colorado and the financial side of any move, all while weighing whether leaving a job he currently owns makes sense at all. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Weighed In On A Realignment Bill That Matters
Florida State University stepped into the conversation this week with a statement thanking Florida senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott for taking up one of the most sensitive parts of the Protect College Sports Act. The bills revised language would ease the independence requirement for schools looking to change conferences, trimming it from five years to three and then phasing it out entirely after six years, a change that could reshape how programs move in the next wave of realignment.
The legislation has already cleared two procedural votes in the Senate, with a final vote expected soon, even as Moody and Scott opposed it and drew criticism from former President Donald Trump. For Florida State, the issue is more than a Washington talking point, since conference structure has become one of the sports defining pressure points and any shift in the rules could have long-term consequences for schools trying to protect their place in a changing landscape. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Has 2 Weak Spots Florida State Will Target
Alabama heads into its matchup with Florida State carrying plenty of optimism around Kalen DeBoers early run and the fresh security of a contract extension, but the attention around Tuscaloosa is still tied to whether this team has truly smoothed out its rough edges from recent seasons. The Crimson Tide have shown enough to keep expectations high, yet there are still questions about how quickly a new-look offense can settle in and whether the supporting cast around Keelon Russell is fully ready for a real test.
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 🡒]