There are a lot of new faces on the Alabama roster this season, and as much as they want to talk about this being a new team, those that played in the season opener at Florida State last season remember how that game felt.
The Seminoles (1-1) make the return trip to Tuscaloosa this Saturday to take on the No. 10 Crimson Tide (2-0, 1-0 SEC) at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC . The two programs are trending in opposite directions, and Alabama is a heavy favorite in this season's matchup, but Florida State would love to play spoiler and get its season back on track.
Here are three of the storylines I'm keeping an eye on heading into Saturday's game:
There have already been multiple transfers to make impact plays for Alabama through the first two games (see Devan Thompkins and Caleb Woodson both collecting two sacks at Kentucky ), but the transfer the coaching staff seemed most high on in the spring was North Carolina State wide receiver transfer Noah Rogers.
Unfortunately for Rogers, he suffered a lower-body injury in Alabama's A-Day scrimmage that initially looked like was going to have him issing at least half of the regular season. But Rogers has gone out for initial warmups in full uniform prior to both of the Crimson Tide's first two and then changing into street clothes when the team goes back into the locker room. He was listed "out" on all availability reports last week.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer kept it vague on Rogers' status for this week, and there will not be any official availability reports leading up to kickoff since this is a non-conference matchup.
"We took him on the trip, he didn't play," DeBoer said of Rogers. "We weren't expecting him to play, but that kind of gives an indication, I think, of how close we are. And again, we'll see how the week of practice goes. But I would say in the next week or two, you can see him out there helping us out."
Prior to his injury, Rogers was expected to be in Alabama's starting lineup at wide receiver alongside Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks . Rico Scott has started the last two games for the Tide, scoring a touchdown in the win over Kentucky. Rogers likely wouldn't immediately be a starter as he works his way back from injury, but his return will affect Alabama's rotation at receiver with Scott and Derek Meadows behind Brooks and Coleman-Williams.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack put it pretty bluntly in his Monday press conference.
"We got embarrassed in the first game of the season, and we saw their absolute best effort, and probably the best that they played all last season, and I would anticipate we will get their absolute best on Saturday as well," Wommack said.
Mike Norvell could very well be coaching for his job. Florida State just fired its athletic director Michael Alford on Monday, so it is unlikely that Norvell's job is directly dependent on the outcome of Saturday's game against Alabama. But if he gets blown out, the ending could be sooner rather than later.
Florida State beat New Mexico State 34-17 in Week 0 before losing to SMU at home on Labor Day night. The Seminoles were off last weekend and have had an extra week to prepare to face the Crimson Tide. How much of a difference will that make?
The Seminoles pulled off the upset last season, but it will be a much more difficult task on the road inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Florida State has plenty of talent on the roster, but it will have to put together a complete performance to knock off the Crimson Tide for the second year in a row.
Alabama kicker Conor Talty had an up-and-down 2025 season, and that started in the opener at Florida State. In the 31-17 loss, Talty went 1-for-2 on the day, missing a 53-yard field go on the Tide's opening drive of the second quarter and connecting on a 40-yard attempt in the third quarter.
Talty turned things around late last season after an outburst at his teammates was caught during the broadcast of the win over Eastern Illinois. The kicker took accountability, learned from his mistakes , won the offseason position competition against transfer Lorcan Quinn and has now made 10 straight field goals dating back to last season. (Quinn has been handling kickoff duties while Talty kicks field goals and extra points.)
Alabama fans are not counting on this game coming down to a field goal, but if it does, Talty is proving to be a reliable option for the Crimson Tide.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Three Storylines I'm Watching Most in Alabama's Week 3 Matchup against Florida State .
