Alabama

2025 FSU Schedule Preview: Alabama Crimson Tide

Published

9 months ago

June 12, 2025

2025 FSU Schedule Preview: Alabama Crimson Tide

With the countdown to the 2025 Florida State season in full swing, we’re previewing the Seminoles’ schedule game-by-game. First up, the Seminoles’ season opener vs. Alabama.

It was seven years ago that Florida State and the Alabama Crimson Tide met in Atlanta — the former looking to prolong its dominant run, the latter looking to get back to one.

Spoiler alert: the first happened, the second did not.

The 2017 matchup is seen by many as the one that got away, with a no-call on pass interference preventing a touchdown and lead change for Florida State with 10 seconds left before halftime. On the next play, Ricky Aguayo’s potential game-tying field goal was blocked and the Seminoles wouldn’t come close to scoring again. Alabama blocked a punt, recovered an FSU fumble on the ensuing kickoff and essentially called game at the end of the third. And then, with the game out of reach, quarterback Deondre Francois was lost for the season after rupturing the patellar tendon in his left knee.

While it would be disingenuous to suggest that the outcome of the game (a 24-7 Florida State loss) is what led to the downfall of one of the more successful programs of the early 2010s, it is fair to say that it was the beginning — the first in a series of major setbacks that would compound to create the hole the Seminoles have been able to escape for just two 10-plus win seasons since (2022 and 2023).

Enter 2025, where both programs are looking for an early-season boost to erase the memories of a down year which for Alabama, meant a historic upset loss to Vanderbilt and an inability to sneak its way into the playoffs at the expense of a more deserving team for the second straight season.

The Seminoles enter into the matchup hoping to change the narrative around the program and, more broadly, the one around Mike Norvell’s tenure. While the singular result of the game, like 2017, won’t necessarily impact the full trajectory of either, it might very well be an indicator of just where things might end up.

Florida State vs. Alabama

Date: Saturday, Aug. 30, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Location: Tallahassee, Florida

Previous matchup: 24-7, Alabama (Atlanta)

All-time series: 3-1-1, Alabama leads

Alabama: 2025 Team Preview

2024 record: 9-4 (5-3 SEC), lost to Michigan in Reliaquest Bowl

Two things to know:

After the offense sputtered in several games last season, Alabama brought in Ryan Grubb as its new offensive coordinator. Grubb has worked under Kalen DeBoer in some capacity for 12 of the last 16 years — most recently, as his offensive coordinator with the Washington Huskies.
Alabama is in its second year of running a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, a switch from the 3-4 days under Nick Saban, which aims to cut down spread offenses, eliminate overthinking and emphasize aggressiveness. A great breakdown via the Roll Tide Bama message boards:

The 4-2-5 Swarm defense Kane Wommack runs is an evolution from the 4-2-5 version that his dad Dave Wommack ran (and helped design) during his long coaching career (he retired after the 2016 season as the Ole Miss defensive coordinator under Hugh Freeze). If you want to get real technical, you could call it a 3-3-5 defense, but it’s pointless getting lost in the numbers of it either way. A basic note on this defense which will aid in understanding other parts of it, is the defensive alignment isn’t based on formation (where the TE lines up, for example), it’s based on the field and the boundary (sideline). One advantage of that is, if a player goes into motion and flips the “strong” side, the defense doesn’t have to make as many adjustments, since the strong side isn’t determined by alignment (though there will be some occasions when this defense will revert to the more traditional way and base it off the offensive formation such as the TE or WR alignment).
By design, this defense is less about containment and more about trying to create havoc in the offensive backfield. Sacks are great, but Saban used to preach, affecting the QB is just as important… This defense sets out to affect things behind the LOS, which often leads to positive things by other means.
Advertisement

It will have issues and occasional breakdowns. The aggressive nature alone will lend itself to the propensity to give up big plays at times. Teams with good QB play will get hot some games and move the chains at a frustrating pace.

Three key players

Quarterback Ty Simpson: The presumed front-runner for the starting quarterback spot, Simpson is a former five-star recruit who has patiently waited for his turn under center — making him a unicorn in the modern age of college football. He’s thrown just 39 passes over three seasons with Alabama, arguably his most notable appearance coming as he relieved a struggling Tyler Buchner (starting in place of the benched Jalen Milroe) vs. USF in 2023, securing the win with a late touchdown run to make it 17-3.

Wide receiver Ryan Williams: Perpetrator of one of the more athletic plays seen in recent memory, Williams established himself as an offensive threat early for Alabama — despite being just 17 years old, as you might remember hearing often last season. His true freshman season saw him put together a 865-yard, 48-catch and eight-touchdown campaign, worthy enough to earn first-team All-SEC honors and establish him as one of the country’s most hyped receivers entering 2025.

EDGE LT Overton: A projected round two selection, Overton opted to return to Alabama for his senior season. In 2024, he racked up 42 tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. A versatile athlete, he lines up in the Bandit (hybrid lineman/edge rusher) role.

Florida State vs. Alabama: Game preview, predictions

Best Case

Narratives (outside of those levied by the most optimistic of FSU fans and most spiteful of Alabama haters) are shattered as Florida State pulls off just its second-ever win vs. Alabama. Tommy Castellanos, comfortable in the offensive attack that welcomed him into the collegiate ranks, shines in his debut as new-look schemes on each side of the ball work their magic. The reason Ty Simpson failed to make a single start in three seasons with the Crimson Tide becomes obvious as multiple interceptions force DeBoer to turn to true freshman Keelon Russell.

Realistic Case

Florida State comes out swinging, utilizing enough scouting and well-timed trickery to make things interesting early and keep them that way well into the third quarter. In the end, though, the game plays out similarly to FSU’s 2022 opener vs. Notre Dame where the Seminoles lack the final oomph to pull off the upset. The moral victory satiates the desire for competent football and, unlike 2022, Florida State carries that momentum into the following week’s matchup vs. an FCS program.

Worst Case

Pain upon pain upon pain. The 2024 season isn’t in the rearview, it is still alive and well, and the first example of it is a blowout at the hands of the Crimson Tide in the first game inside a newly-renovated Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles get a paltry, pity field goal towards the end of the game to prevent a blowout and the tone of the season gets set in a terrible way.

Poll

Most likely outcome vs. Alabama?

2025 FSU football schedule

Saturday, Aug. 30: Alabama Crimson Tide (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC

Saturday, Sep. 6: East Texas A&M Lions (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Time: 12 p.m. ET
Channel: ACC Network

Saturday, Sep. 13: BYE

Saturday, Sep. 20: Kent State Golden Flashes (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Friday, Sep. 26: Virginia Cavaliers (Scott Stadium, Charlottesville)

Time: 7 p.m.
Channel: ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 4: Miami Hurricanes (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Saturday, Oct. 11: Pitt Panthers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Saturday, Oct. 18: Stanford Cardinal (Stanford Stadium, Stanford)

Time: 10:30 p.m.
Channel: ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 25: BYE

Saturday, Nov. 1: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Saturday, Nov. 8: Clemson Tigers (Memorial Stadium, Clemson)

Saturday, Nov. 15: Virginia Tech Hokies (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)

Friday, Nov. 21: NC State Wolfpack (Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh)

Time: 8 p.m.
Channel: ESPN

Saturday, Nov. 29: Florida Gators (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville)

Source link

Click to comment

Alabama

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey receives Boy Scouts’ Circle of Honor

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey receives Boy Scouts’ Circle of Honor

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey was honored for her lifelong dedication to youth and community service during the 12th annual Black Warrior Council Boy Scouts of America Circle of Honor awards luncheon.

The ceremony, which was held Feb. 27 at the Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Tuscaloosa, serves as a fundraiser for the council’s scouting program.

The Circle of Honor award is presented to people in west central Alabama whose livelihood and actions reflect the same values of the Black Warrior Boy Scouts. Recipients have also shown advocacy for youth and leadership in the community.

Past recipients of the award include Terry Saban, Nick Saban, former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, scientist and philanthropist Thomas Joiner, pharmacist and retailer James I. Harrison Jr., civic leader Mary Ann Phelps and more.

Cathy Randall, a Tuscaloosa businesswoman, educator and philanthropist, presented Ivey with the award. Randall was inducted into the Circle of Honor in 2025 along with her late husband, Pettus.

Ivey said she was grateful to receive the honor by the Black Warrior Council and highlighted the importance of public service.

“I’m proud to have dedicated my life to public service, there’s no more noble calling than to uplift and empower lives,” said Ivey during the Feb. 27 ceremony.

Ivey thanked the scouting organizations, including the Black Warrior Council for its contributions to educational opportunities, economic development, and public safety.

“In particular, I’m proud of the work done by our Scouting organizations like the Black Warrior Council, who lay a foundation for successful future in both our young people and our state, thank you for all you do to build a stronger Alabama by changing lives and preparing our future leaders,” said Ivey, a native of Camden in Wilcox County.

Ivey is wrapping up her second term as governor after a long career spent primarily in government.

After graduating from Auburn University in 1967, Ivey worked as a high school teacher and a bank officer. She served as reading clerk for the Alabama House of Representatives under then-Speaker Joseph C. McCorquodale and she served as assistant director at the Alabama Development Office.

In 2002, Ivey was elected to the first of two terms as Alabama’s treasurer and in 2010, she was elected to the first of two terms as lieutenant governor. On April 10, 2017, Ivey was sworn in as Alabama’s 54th governor after the resignation of Robert Bentley. She filled out the rest of Bentley’s term before winning the gubernatorial election in 2018 and she was re-elected in 2022.

She will leave office at the end of this year.

She is the first Republican woman to serve as Alabama’s governor but she’s the second woman to hold the state’s top executive office. Tuscaloosa County native Lurleen B. Wallace, a Democrat, became Alabama’s first female governor in 1966.

Circle of Honor luncheon raises nearly $200,000

Also during the ceremony, retired DCH Health System administrator Sammy Watson, who served as the event’s emcee, announced that the council had raised $197,000 through the luncheon that day.

Proceeds from the lunch will be used to expand Boy Scouts programs, making them available to over 3,000 young people in west central Alabama.

The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s leading outdoor education and character development program. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@usatodayco.com. To support her work, please subscribe to The Tuscaloosa News.

Source link

Alabama

Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. steps down after 13 years on the bench

Published

17 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. steps down after 13 years on the bench

SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – After more than a decade serving Alabama’s fourth judicial circuit, Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. is stepping away from full-time service, closing a chapter that spans nearly four decades in the legal profession.

Pettaway was elected to the bench in 2012 and served in several counties including Dallas, Wilcox, Perry, Hale and Bibb counties, the largest geographical circuit in the state.

Now, he says, it was simply time.

“I never wanted to serve in that capacity forever,” Pettaway said “And plus, I wanted to also make room for some younger, brighter minds to come forward.”

Before becoming a judge, Pettaway practiced law in Selma for nearly 30 years after being licensed in 1985. During that time, he handled cases that helped shape Alabama law; something he says he didn’t fully appreciate until colleagues reflected on his impact.

“I handled several cases which actually affected and changed the direction of the state of the law in our state,” he added. “And I didn’t realize I did all that.”

Friends and fellow legal professionals once presented him with research showing his involvement in Alabama Supreme Court cases that made significant changes in state law; a moment he describes as both surprising and humbling.

During his time on the bench, Pettaway says one of his priorities was maintaining professionalism and respect within the legal system.

He often referenced the Alabama State Bar’s Lawyer’s Creed — a pledge attorneys take promising to treat even their opponents with civility and understanding.

“In that creed, you are promising that you’re gonna treat even your opponents with civility and with kindness and understanding.”

Pettaway says he believes the legal profession — and society at large — must continue working toward a culture rooted in respect and service.

Although stepping away from full-time duties, Pettaway says he is not completely leaving the legal field. He has transitioned to retired active status and plans to assist with cases when needed, while also returning to private practice.

He says this new chapter is about balance.

After decades shaping courtrooms across five counties, Pettaway says he is focused on health, perspective and trusting the next generation to carry the bench forward.

Governor Kay Ivey has appointed former Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones to serve the remainder of Pettaway’s six-year term.

Jones previously served as senior chief trial attorney under District Attorney Robert Turner Jr. and has also led the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.

The transition marks a new era for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, while closing a significant chapter in its recent history.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Source link

Alabama

Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine

As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine nears its conclusion, the Detroit Lions continue to work to identify potential fits for the franchise.

The Lions own pick No. 17 in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Though Taylor Decker recently announced his return for the 2026 season, Detroit could still be thinking offensive line in the draft’s opening round.

If the Lions opt to fortify their offensive line, one name to watch for Detroit is Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. A Lions scout pulled Proctor aside to talk at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January.

Now, Proctor confirmed to Crunch Time Sports that he met with the Lions at the NFL combine.

Proctor started 40 games across his Crimson Tide career, missing just the first two games of the 2024 season with injury.

The 6-foot-7, 366-pound lineman was Alabama’s highest-graded player last season with an overall offensive grade of 85.9, per Pro Football Focus. Proctor had a pass-blocking grade of 84.2, a run blocking grade of 81.1 and allowed just two sacks during the 2025 college football season.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions

Source link