5 things to know about Alabama football before kickoff
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After nearly nine months, we can once again say it’s game week for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
No. 8 Alabama kicks its season off Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee. Here’s what you need to know before Saturday’s opening kickoff:
- Who: No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida State Seminoles
- Where: Doak S. Campbell Stadium | 403 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32304
- When: 2:30PM | Saturday, Aug. 31
- Watch: ABC
The game kicks off the second season of the Kalen DeBoer era with the Nick-Saban-sized shadow still building pressure in Tuscaloosa.
The 2024 season was the first time the Tide have not reached double-digit victories since 2007 so while it may be too early to say there’s any kind of hot seat yet, DeBoer will have to get closer to meeting expectations to avoid it next season.
Before you sit down to watch the Tide play FSU, here are five things you should about the 2025 season.
Avoiding sophomore slumps
Alabama fans expect Ryan Williams to be the star on offense this season. As a freshman, Williams led the team with 865 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches.
Expectations are even higher this season as new quarterback Ty Simpson steps in along with new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
This offseason, Williams was put on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 video game. He’s also in the top 20 of Heisman Trophy odds to start the season.
But Williams wasn’t the only first-year player to make some noise under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. Here’s a few other sophomore stars to keep an eye on:
- WR Cole Adams
- WR Jalyen Mbakwe (former DB)
- OL Wilkin Formby
- LB Qua Russaw
- DB Zabien Brown
Who will be the leading rusher?
Jalen Milroe was the leading rusher for Alabama last season as no true running back surpassed the 700-yard mark in 2024.
In fact, Alabama has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2021 when Brian Robinson led the Tide’s backfield. It’s the first time the program has gone three consecutive seasons without someone reaching that mark since 2000-2002.
That streak is in jeopardy of extending this year as projected starting running back Jam Miller has already been ruled out for at least the first three games. Other running back names you should know include:
- Richard Young
- Daniel Hill
- Kevin Riley
- Dre Washington
If any of those four guys can become the go-to back in the first three weeks, Miller may have to earn the starting job back when he returns.
‘New look’ secondary
It’s not that the entire Alabama secondary will have a new look—there will actually be several familiar names returning.
However, after five years and 64 games, the Tide will not have Malachi Moore on the field. The former team captain led the team in pass deflections in 2024 and finished third with a pair of interceptions.
His presence will certainly be missed but in comes a new set of players led by senior cornerback Domani Jackson, who seems to be a consensus first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Other defensive backs returning include:
- Bray Hubbard
- Keon Sabb
- Zabien Brown
- DaShawn Jones
- Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
- Zavier Mincey
Will Alabama be an underdog this season?
We know the expectations inside the Alabama program and within the Tide fanbase are still sky high.
But how does the rest of the country view Alabama since Saban’s departure? And more importantly for this particular point, how does Vegas view Alabama?
Alabama has not been considered an underdog very often by the betting lines since 2008. Last season, the Tide was an underdog at home for the first time since 2007—Georgia was favored at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Since 2015, Georgia and Michigan are the only teams to be favored against Alabama.
So how many games will Alabama be favored in this season? It may be too early to tell but it seems likely the Tide will be favored in at least nine games.
The three most likely games for the Tide to be considered an underdog are:
- at Georgia, Sep. 27
- at South Carolina, Oct. 25
- LSU, Nov. 8
Depending on how the first half of the season goes, you could see Alabama being an underdog against teams like Tennessee, Oklahoma and maybe on the road against Auburn.
National championship drought
Title drought is not something Alabama fans have had to talk about for a long time. That’s what happens when you win six national championships during a 12-season span.
And the Tide is just one-year removed from winning the SEC championship.
So yes, maybe drought is a little harsh.
But going four years without a championship is something Alabama has not done since the Saban era began in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide is in its longest national title drought since the one that last from 1992 to 2009.
Alabama enters the season ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, its lowest preseason ranking since 2008. But it’s a different time as just a pair of losses could get the Tide into the College Football Playoff with a chance at playing for DeBoer’s first national title in Tuscaloosa.
One thing is for sure though: the longer this drought lasts, the more the pressure will build on DeBoer and eventually even more so on Greg Byrne.
What’s your bold prediction for the 2025 Alabama football season? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
