Florida State humiliates No. 8 Alabama as Crimson Tide’s glow as a football elite flickers away

For the first time in 24 years, Alabama is 0-1 to start the season and for coach Kalen DeBoer, more losses are coming for his program unless major corrections are made across several areas.

Saturday’s 31-17 loss to Florida State magnified what some already wondered about the preseason’s eighth-ranked team: would the move to Ty Simpson at quarterback, addition of Ryan Grubb as OC and personnel changes defensively push this talent-loaded team toward a playoff run?

Early returns are in and those carrying overrated flags, at least for now, can keep those flying.

The Seminoles out-coached, out-prepared and out-executed the Crimson Tide in all facets, making good on quarterback Thomas Castellanos’ list of offseason guarantees with a dominant showing.

Castellanos was right: this ain’t the same Alabama and no opposing team is getting off the bus worried about the Crimson Tide’s mystique. With 4:28 to play in the second quarter, Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre tackled Castellanos near the sideline and briefly stood over him despite trailing by a touchdown with Florida State driving. 

Alabama was not flagged after Castellanos pulled dirt from the top of his facemask, but the play offered a window into a team failing to play as one on the verge of losing its composure.

No wonder Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne had Mike Norvell at the top of his coaching wishlist post-Nick Saban in January 2024. Instead, the Crimson Tide went with DeBoer, who’s 9-5 overall only 14 games into his tenure with three losses over his last four games — all as a double-digit betting favorite.

This isn’t the same, confident version DeBoer we saw at Washington reach the national championship game two years ago. At the time, he was elite in big games and nearly unbeatable against top-end competition despite not having the same level of resources now in his possession with the Crimson Tide.

How long can Alabama’s supporters and top-end boosters “trust the process” with the current product being put on the field? The Crimson Tide ranked seventh in the SEC last season in total defense at 320.1 yards per game, forcing DeBoer to make several staff changes in hopes of fixing issues ahead of 2025. 

Losing to Vanderbilt last season was the revealing eyebrow-raiser that showed defensive blemishes before the setback against Oklahoma opened sores that haven’t healed. Those have metastasized with a little extra salt in the wound via ex-Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who dazzled in his debut as Florida State’s OC.

Malzahn stayed one step of the Crimson Tide’s defensive staff in rhythmic fashion with a blend of designed quarterback runs, play-action and an emphasis on physicality. Florida State’s running back leak call in the third quarter from Castellanos to Jaylin Lucas for a 64-yard gasher on first down was one of two backbreakers, leading to a 4-yard touchdown on the next play and a 17-point lead.

The last was a fourth-and-short conversion from former Alabama running back Roydell Williams midway through the fourth quarter that kept the clock moving and was succeeded by a personal foul against the Crimson Tide on the second down.

Florida State played with an edge throughout at the line of scrimmage and rebounded from Alabama’s touchdown drive to open the game by limiting the opposition’s production on the ground the rest of the way. 

How Alabama responds from this latest unexpected uppercut will determine its fate as the schedule only stiffens from here. And for DeBoer, Ty Simpson and the rest of this Crimson Tide team, showing they can take a punch and pick themselves off the canvas for another round is vital toward getting back to a level of respectability that is fleeting.