TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Florida State left its opening game of the 2025 season with a statement victory against Alabama, while the Crimson Tide left Tallahassee with questions about where they were headed.
The months that followed changed the outlook for both programs.
No. 10 Alabama (2-0) hosts Florida State (1-1) on Saturday Bryant-Denny Stadium to wrap up the home-and-home series a year after the Seminoles’ 31-17 stunner against the Tide at Doak Campbell Stadium wrongly suggested where the teams were going.
Alabama recovered, with the Tide winning 10 of their next 11 games to reach the Southeastern Conference title matchup and earn a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff despite losing to Georgia with the league championship on the line. They then won their CFP opener at Oklahoma to avenge a regular-season home loss to the Sooners in SEC play, but the Tide were routed by eventual national champion Indiana of the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
Florida State started 3-0 before losing seven of its final nine games, missing a bowl for the second consecutive season under embattled head coach Mike Norvell, who hasn’t won more than two Atlantic Coast Conference games in a season since the Seminoles went 8-0 in league play and won the ACC title game in 2023.