On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will begin the 2025 college football season against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. This will mark just the sixth time in program history these two teams have squared off against each other, and the first time in Tallahassee.
The Crimson Tide currently hold a 3-1-1 record against the Seminoles.
Here are a few things to watch for this Saturday as the Crimson Tide travels to Florida State.
Who Steps Up at Running Back?
A collarbone injury to starting running back Jam Miller has left question marks about who will get the bulk of the carries. Lead candidates to get the touches in Miller’s absence are a pair of talented sophomores, Richard Young and Daniel Hill. If Alabama chooses for more experience, they can bring in Louisiana transfer Dre Washington. While there isn’t another Miller to come off the bench, there shouldn’t be that big of a drop-off with whoever gets the carries.
Can Simpson Handle the Pressure?
Ty Simpson will be getting his first start on the road against a Power 4 conference opponent in a hostile environment. While Simpson may be lacking in starts, he is the son of a coach and in his fourth year in the program. Simpson shouldn’t have to be a hero on Saturday; he simply has to protect the football and distribute the ball to his many playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
Containing Castellanos
Keeping a mobile quarterback like Thomas Castellanos inside the pocket will be key to Alabama’s success on defense. The Crimson Tide front seven will have to do so without starting defensive lineman Tim Keenan. Jeremiah Beaman, a redshirt freshman of similar stature to Keenan, is expected to see his role increase. With all the disrespectful trash-talking Castellanos has done in the offseason, the Alabama defense should have a little extra motivation to contain Castellanos.
Inclement Weather
Conditions for Saturday’s game in Florida are projected to have temperatures in the 80s with a few passing showers during the game. Throughout the week, Alabama has been preparing for the wet conditions by using wet footballs with soap on them. The last time Alabama was in Florida was two years ago with similar conditions. Simpson saw action in a sloppy game against South Florida, which resulted in a narrow victory for the Crimson Tide.
Kicking Game
The kicking game has been extremely stable over the past few years. This year, the job will be handed down to redshirt sophomore Conor Talty. Last season, Talty was the backup kicker but handled the kickoff duties. As the most experienced kicker on the roster, Talty won the position with ease. Talty has had some ups and downs with accuracy, but has plenty of leg, as it was documented earlier in the week, hitting a 55-yarder in a 2-minute drill.
Alabama will open the season on the road against Florida State at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday with Simpson as the starting quarterback. The game will be televised on ABC.
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