The Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama kicks off its second season in Tallahassee!
This showdown against Florida State is going to test if DeBoer and the Tide can step up on the road against a team coming off a rough 2-10 season—one of their worst in recent history.
Florida State had an undefeated regular season in 2023, but things took a nosedive in 2024. Alabama made it to the College Football Playoff instead of the Seminoles, largely because of an injury to FSU’s star quarterback, Jordan Travis, and Alabama’s 27-24 SEC Championship win over Georgia.
Now, two years later, Alabama is heading to Doak Campbell Stadium on August 30 for what’s shaping up to be an epic SEC-ACC matchup. It’s got all the drama of a wrestling storyline, with Alabama potentially playing the villain. But the Seminoles are the perfect team to face as Alabama’s season opener.
The Tide will be the first team to face Florida State after their 2024 disaster, giving them a chance to fix one of the big issues from last season. Alabama struggled in road games last year, particularly against weaker teams. They lost three conference games in 2024, including upsets to unranked Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, who had a combined 5-11 conference record.
“We know that wasn’t the standard for Alabama football,” said wide receiver Germie Bernard about last year.
Florida State enters 2025 with a fresh start after their tough 2024, so Alabama’s challenge will be not letting that bad record mess with their prep. Beyond the quarterback competition, the biggest question heading into the season is whether the players are fully on board with DeBoer in Year 2.
“When Coach DeBoer first arrived, it was a culture shock,” said receiver Ryan Williams on SEC Network’s *All In*. “Some guys weren’t fully bought in, but now, in Year 2, everyone here is all in with Coach DeBoer and the staff.”
When Florida State’s War Chant echoes through the Tallahassee heat, Alabama will find out if they’re ready to live up to the legacy of past Tide legends.
