Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa will likely be one of the top Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium environments of the 2026 season.
As to why, it is because the Florida State Seminoles come to town for a rematch from last season, a game which the Alabama Crimson Tide suffered a shocking 31-17 loss in Tallahassee to open the 2025 season.
When taking a look back at that matchup as well, there are a number of players who return for Florida State off last season's roster, a few of which saw significant action against Alabama in that game. Some of those names make a key impact for the Seminoles in that game, as well as gave Alabama problems at their respective positions.
Here are three Crimson Tide storylines to monitor this Saturday as Alabama and
Florida State meet once again.
Will Alabama avenge its' 2025 loss in Tallahassee?
Alabama simply did not play well in Tallahassee last season, especially in the first half where they eventually trailed at halftime, 17-7. Last season, Alabama avenged two of their three regular season road losses from 2024 with wins at home over Vanderbilt and Tennessee, and have a chance to do the same Saturday against Florida State.
How will Alabama perform against Florida State running game?
One of biggest areas Alabama struggled against Florida State a year ago was with the Seminoles ground game, as the Crimson Tide surrendered 230 rushing yards in the loss, as well as an average of 4.7 yards a carry. This will be key for Alabama defensively again this season with Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels now under center, who rushed for 100+ yards against Alabama a year ago, as well as a group of talented backs headlined by Ousmane Kromah.
Will Keelon Russell bounce back against struggling Florida State pass defense?
The third storyline to monitor Saturday will be the performance of Keelon Russell, in particular if the Crimson Tide quarterback bounces back following a three turnover game a week ago at Kentucky. There is certainly the potential for Russell to have a big day, especially through the air considering the Florida State defense is allowing the second-most passing yards in the ACC at 351 per game.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: 3 storylines for Alabama vs. Florida State in Week 3 showdown
