Since the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll for college football dropped last month, six ranked teams have suffered losses across games played in Week Zero and Week One. Four teams ranked in the top 10 were upset, none more surprising than Alabama’s season-opening loss at Florida State.
The Seminoles’ triumph over the Crimson Tide was noteworthy for several reasons. First, it brought Thomas Castellanos’ preseason guarantee to fruition: “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.” And indeed, the Boston College transfer carved up Alabama for 230 yards of total offense while opposing quarterback Ty Simpson looked wildly mediocre. Second, it stands as a statement win for Florida State, which went 2-10 last season with one FBS win over Cal by five points. And third, it just turned up the heat on the seat of Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who is now 6-4 against unranked teams as the Tide’s head coach.
Restlessness and disappointment is setting in for Alabama fans, something they haven’t felt in a while. The Crimson Tide don’t look like a contending team. But this is what can happen when a generational coaching talent isn’t leading that program. Most college teams are lucky to have just one of those. Alabama football — like North Carolina basketball with Dean Smith and Roy Williams — has been lucky enough to have two in Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. That’s not lightning in a bottle; that’s like harnessing lightning in a greased Mountain Dew bottle cap.
Right now, it sure doesn’t seem like a statue of DeBoer will be joining the likenesses of Saban and the Bear on the grounds of Tuscaloosa anytime soon.
Alabama’s fall and Florida State’s rise are among the several noteworthy moves in the latest AP Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. We have a new No. 1 team too, following Texas’ loss at Ohio State, which turned out to be a massively underwhelming debut for Arch Manning as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback.
Also, the race for the Group of Five bid into the College Football Playoff is wide open following Boise State’s shocking defeat at South Florida.
