JessN: Florida State wrap-up: Suddenly the Questions Are Too Many to Answer

[JessN]

Florida State wrap-up: Suddenly, the Questions Are Too Many to Answer
by Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
August 30, 2025

There was always the chance that the addition of some 50 new players and offensive mastermind-slash-mongoose Gus Malzahn was going to give Alabama a much kind of different game than the one it was expecting. But Alabama never expected this.

Florida State controlled this game. It was no fluke, no joke. The mongoose Malzahn killed another cobra. And he really didn’t even have to get that creative about it.

CONTINUE READING

TideFans.com | By the Fans, For the Fans. - Florida State wrap-up: Suddenly, the Questions Are Too Many to Answer

There was always the chance that the addition of some 50 new players and offensive mastermind-slash-mongoose Gus Malzahn was going to give Alabama a much different game than the one it was expectin…

news.tidefans.com

 

[RdunawayTX]

Spot on. I wondered about the DL "quicker and faster" theory that was espoused by the coaches years ago.

 

[JessN]

Spot on. I wondered about the DL "quicker and faster" theory that was espoused by the coaches years ago.

By itself, they're not wrong. We've had guys like that for years. Nick Gentry for example was highly effective. Byron Young would be a killer in this defense.

The problem is, you still have to have about 3-4 fat guys on the roster for goal-line work and for when you know they're going to run it downhill. You can't be all really big guys anymore because faster teams (like FSU) will eat you up getting to the outside of the formation. You just need a good mix, and when we lost Keenan, we lost that. Beaman had a bad day and the freshman Simmons isn't ready. We ended up playing Faga there a lot (he's basically Nick Gentry Part Deux) but as I alluded to in the wrap-up, he's on a pitch count just like Keenan will be when he gets back, but for the opposite reason.

Complicating this is you can't really recruit to it anymore. The portal and NIL limits are going to make every team have to figure out where they spend their money, or cheat like hell and hope they don't get caught because getting caught may lead to actual criminal charges in the future. So the days where we had 12-15 guys on the roster who all looked like an NFL minicamp, and expecting them to stay for 4-5 years, those days are gone-gone and not coming back under any circumstance.

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

“Alabama may be out of mulligans after the first week, and there’s nothing about this performance that makes us think the Crimson Tide can upset Georgia on the road, plus beat a Tennessee team that – at least offensively – may have actually improved with the loss of its starting quarterback of a year ago. Or, and especially OR, all caps again, take down an Auburn team in Auburn at the end of the regular season…”

I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of every FBS team since 2000 that has lost its first game and still managed to win 10 games in regular season. The answer came back NC State in 2002 and Clemson in 2024. That’s it…

 

[BAMARICH]

“Alabama may be out of mulligans after the first week, and there’s nothing about this performance that makes us think the Crimson Tide can upset Georgia on the road, plus beat a Tennessee team that – at least offensively – may have actually improved with the loss of its starting quarterback of a year ago. Or, and especially OR, all caps again, take down an Auburn team in Auburn at the end of the regular season…”

I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of every FBS team since 2000 that has lost its first game and still managed to win 10 games in regular season. The answer came back NC State in 2002 and Clemson in 2024. That’s it…

Check 2019 Oregon… they actually won 11 so maybe the search criteria derailed you. Given those stats, why would any FBS attempt to play a competitive opening game?

 

[BamaMoon]

Florida State wrap-up: Suddenly, the Questions Are Too Many to Answer
by Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
August 30, 2025

There was always the chance that the addition of some 50 new players and offensive mastermind-slash-mongoose Gus Malzahn was going to give Alabama a much kind of different game than the one it was expecting. But Alabama never expected this.

Florida State controlled this game. It was no fluke, no joke. The mongoose Malzahn killed another cobra. And he really didn’t even have to get that creative about it.

CONTINUE READING

TideFans.com | By the Fans, For the Fans. - Florida State wrap-up: Suddenly, the Questions Are Too Many to Answer

There was always the chance that the addition of some 50 new players and offensive mastermind-slash-mongoose Gus Malzahn was going to give Alabama a much different game than the one it was expectin…

news.tidefans.com

Good recap. Very concerning about personnel and schemes.

I especially agree on your last point about offensive game calling. Way too many downfield throws/patterns and not enough shorter options and screens.

 

[BamaMoon]

Check 2019 Oregon… they actually won 11 so maybe the search criteria derailed you. Given those stats, why would any FBS attempt to play a competitive opening game?

It's funny. People want these great games and complain about cup-cakes but then when you lose a big opener it stinks.

First time it's happened to us in 23 years during the Shula years.

 

[Krymsonman]

Great write up as usual Jess, but I would also say FSU wanted to be there, and wanted to win way more than BAMA did. I don't know if we can fix this year.

 

[JessN]

“Alabama may be out of mulligans after the first week, and there’s nothing about this performance that makes us think the Crimson Tide can upset Georgia on the road, plus beat a Tennessee team that – at least offensively – may have actually improved with the loss of its starting quarterback of a year ago. Or, and especially OR, all caps again, take down an Auburn team in Auburn at the end of the regular season…”

I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of every FBS team since 2000 that has lost its first game and still managed to win 10 games in regular season. The answer came back NC State in 2002 and Clemson in 2024. That’s it…

I think you'll see a couple this year: Texas for sure. And I would bet if Clemson loses to LSU (they're tied right now as I write this), they certainly will. Only one other losable game on that schedule (USC).

We are a long shot for sure.

 

[graydogg85]

Are opening week upsets like this going to be a bit of the new norm going forward in CFB? Look what South Florida did to Boise, a playoff team in 2024.

It’s an unprecedented era in which you can literally make a comprehensive overhaul of your roster from season to season, like FSU bringing in 50 portal players.

Not making excuses, we crapped the bed today (especially on defense) - but the only resemblance the FSU team we faced today bore to the ‘24 squad was the uniforms. Hard to really, truly know what you’re up against when facing a roster of veterans that have also never once played in a game together as a team.

FWIW, I suspect FSU is considerably better than 2-10 this season but probably not a playoff team; eventually enough film study will be available to expose some of their weaknesses.

 

[RammerJammer14]

It's funny. People want these great games and complain about cup-cakes but then when you lose a big opener it stinks.

First time it's happened to us in 23 years during the Shula years.

I was 11 years old last time it happened. This is not a fun time for me, taking me back to middle school and high school days of getting taunted about my team lol.

 

[JDCrimson]

I know this is probably a panic question, but given how thin and light we are on the DL, are there any 3rd string OL that can flip over and provide some snaps at DT?

I think in the NIL era we are going to have to use our personnel more creatively to cover over depth issues.

 

[OconeeTide]

I was 11 years old last time it happened. This is not a fun time for me, taking me back to middle school and high school days of getting taunted about my team lol.

Im a Bengals fan in the NFL so im used to being taunted about my team. Though it is weird having it come from this angle now....

 

[BAMARICH]

Are opening week upsets like this going to be a bit of the new norm going forward in CFB?

Yes. Until teams stop playing them… and that will happen soon if days like this continue.

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

Check 2019 Oregon… they actually won 11 so maybe the search criteria derailed you. Given those stats, why would any FBS attempt to play a competitive opening game?

My actual query was “Use your search capabilities to scour NCAA football bowl subdivision (“FBS”) records and tell me how many teams since 2000 in FBS lost their first game of the season and still won10 or more games that same season not counting any playoff or bowl games.”.The answer came back in about five seconds. Just goes to show you that Chat is pretty good but not perfect…

 

[bamajas]

My actual query was “Use your search capabilities to scour NCAA football bowl subdivision (“FBS”) records and tell me how many teams since 2000 in FBS lost their first game of the season and still won10 or more games that same season not counting any playoff or bowl games.”.The answer came back in about five seconds. Just goes to show you that Chat is pretty good but not perfect…

I've still not figured out a prompt or found the right engine to generate results for comprehensive lists ("give me every reference...")

 

[Valley View]

Great write up as usual Jess, but I would also say FSU wanted to be there, and wanted to win way more than BAMA did. I don't know if we can fix this year.

Agree! FSU was hungry, we acted like we didn't want to be there. Like last years bowl game.

 

[LeBron47]

Agree! FSU was hungry, we acted like we didn't want to be there. Like last years bowl game.

a theme that is becoming too normal for Karen D and his staff. The problem is not in the talent the problems at the top. Until that is addressed make reservations for Nashville because we likely end up there at the end of this season.

 

[OconeeTide]

a theme that is becoming too normal for Karen D and his staff. The problem is not in the talent the problems at the top. Until that is addressed make reservations for Nashville because we likely end up there at the end of this season.

They keep playing like that and we wont have to worry about them playing after November

 

[bamacpa]

It's hard to believe how bad the linebacker play was. Wrong run fits, juked off their feet more than once, and some lack of effort at times.