TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- If No. 8 Alabama is going to return to the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide will need to play better away from home.
It starts at rebuilding Florida State.
The Tide, which lost four times outside Tuscaloosa in 2024 and failed to reach the CFP, gets an early chance to prove last season's road woes were more of a fluke than a foreshadowing under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.
"You got to start fast," DeBoer said. "You dig yourself a hole on the road, it gets hard. The crowd gets behind the home team."
Alabama dropped road games to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma last year and then lost to Michigan in a bowl game in Tampa, Florida. Those setbacks left the Tide at 9-4 and snapped the program's 16-year run with double-digit victories.
The Tide will try to end the trend against the Seminoles, who have lost 11 of their last 13 games.
Fourth-year junior Ty Simpson, a five-star quarterback prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, will make his first career start. He has thrown just 50 passes in three years while waiting his turn behind Bryce Young and then Jalen Milroe.
While Simpson has star receiver Ryan Williams to help ease his transition from sideline to spotlight, Alabama will be without tailback Jam Miller (dislocated collarbone). He is expected to return in time for Alabama's Southeastern Conference opener against Georgia in late September.
The Crimson Tide will turn to transfer Dre Washington and others to help pick up the ground attack slack. Washington had 1,343 yards and nine touchdowns in four seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette.
"They've really embraced the next-man-up mentality," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. "I don't think there's necessarily anything that's Earth-shattering that they're doing, but they're excited about the opportunity."
Despite the question marks, the Crimson Tide is a 13 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Florida State has nearly 50 new players, including former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, in a significant roster overhaul that could include nine first-year transfers starting on offense.
Seminoles coach Mike Norvell is looking to bounce back after a 2-10 season by leaning on a run-first offense under the guidance of new coordinator and former Auburn and UCF coach Gus Malzahn. Norvell also brought in Tony White, who led a pair of top-25 defenses at Nebraska, to run a 3-3-5 scheme.
"This is a team that has a lot of versatile playmakers," Norvell said. "When you look on both sides of the ball, guys that can align in different places with what they're being asked to do. I'm excited to see all of it come together with the different combinations."
Alabama starting offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts is in the concussion protocol and is "still in question," DeBoer said. Florida State will be without backup receiver Lawayne McCoy and freshman defensive tackle Kevin Wynn.
DeBoer has a track record of improvement in Year 2 at his prior stops, including a jump at Washington from 11-2 in 2022 to 14-2 in 2023. At Fresno State, DeBoer went 3-3 in a COVID-shortened 2020 before leading the Bulldogs to a 9-3 mark in 2021.
Among the team's 49 newcomers, Florida State brought in 22 transfers who have started 293 games. Norvell and the staff prioritized experience, production and leadership.
A number of the new pieces also have SEC experience, including multi-year starters in offensive linemen Gunnar Hansen (Vanderbilt) and Micah Pettus (Ole Miss) and defensive tackle Jayson Jenkins (Tennessee). Wide receiver Squirrel White, another Tennessee transfer, had 10 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown against Alabama in 2023.
Doak Campbell Stadium has undergone a $265 million renovation, one that brings luxury boxes and chair-back seating to the west side as well as new video boards. Capacity has been reduced to 67,277.