What an atmosphere. What a crowd. A town unlike any other. Tuscaloosa, I'm proud to have experienced you. It was 95 degrees and sunny this past Saturday, September 19th, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the #10 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide facing off against the unranked Florida State Seminoles. There were people everywhere, all sporting Crimson Tide gear and having a great time. The vibe around Tuscaloosa Friday night and Saturday morning heading into the game against Florida State, who upset them last season, was one of great anticipation. Everyone was looking forward to the Tide getting their get back for last season's upset. You can't lose two straight seasons to Florida State, especially in the state they currently find themselves in, as the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, can you? I predicted a 34-16 Tide victory, due to the extreme temperatures, the caginess between the two teams, and the well-traveled FSU fans making enough noise to help their team stay in the game. Little did I, nor anyone else, expect the day to go as it did.

Dominant offensive performance by the Alabama Crimson Tide, or DOUBLE lightning delay luck? Well, the latter is definitely what Florida State Seminole supporters believed caused their collapse against the Tide after they cruised to an early 21-6 lead. I sat in a section of 80% FSU fans, and they kept harping on the Bama "Devil magic" leading to the second lightning delay in particular, which occurred with about 2:30 to go in the second quarter, just after Alabama had scored a TD to cut the Noles' lead to 21-13. Find out the TRUTH behind the Seminoles' collapse down below.

I noticed a STARK contrast between the two teams before that break and after. To begin the game, FSU was absolutely DOMINANT, in particular via their defensive line's play, gang tackling, and pursuit. It was a spectacle to watch. They had, in my eyes, a measured approach offensively leading up to the delay, running the ball well enough to set up the play action pass for Ashton Daniels, who was very effective early on with nearly 20 yards per attempt, going BIG game hunting. Alabama, on the other hand, was slow and sluggish, almost as if the hour forty five minute delay from the original start time of the game to when the game finally kicked off (4:15pm CST), took a toll on them. It was a SCORCHER, I'll give both teams that, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, and God only knows how hot the turf got. I can attest to the heat, considering I had sweat through my clothes and looked like I'd soiled myself within 10 minutes of sitting in the stands (I sat there for roughly 6 hours). That being said, the first time Alabama flashed ANY signs of life was on their third drive, gifted to them by an erratic decision by FSU QB Ashton Daniels under pressure leading to an interception, which later became a theme of the evening. Then, after a 2nd down sack, Bama star redshirt freshman QB Keelon Russell connecting with impressive sophomore receiver Lotzeir Brooks and freshman halfback EJ Crowell for a pair of 14-yard gains, leading to a field goal and their first score of the game.

Now, FSU is dominating, and Seminole fans, who travel notoriously well, are licking their chops for a SECOND straight upset against the Tide and making REAL noise in the stands. Tide fans, on the other hand, are looking dejected and are calling, at least in my section, for DeBoer's job. This is when the lightning delay strikes. For about 45 minutes or so, the game is put on hold. Then, we get the announcement that "lightning is no longer detected within an 8-mile radius of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium," and the crowd ROARS. The players come back onto the field and the tide (ironically) immediately shifts. I'm talking a 180-degree swing batta batta swing in the performances of the two squads. Alabama comes out and starts absolutely harassing the Seminoles' offense, generating significant pressure and getting to the ball seemingly immediately. Their DL and pursuit became even stronger than what FSU's defense had showcased prior to that delay. The momentum shift is real.

Here's the point where FSU begins to break down. Alabama's front is generating significant pressure and the running game is no longer really being utilized, leaving the game almost entirely in Daniels' hands. Daniels, I noticed, when under duress, seems to feel the need to try and make the big play and play hero ball. He does this, in Saturday's case, even when up, and it leads to poor, often perplexing decisions, including another first half pick that led to a Bama TD. Generate pressure and the house of cards will crumble beneath the rolling tide. Highly touted draft prospect and Tide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams took a screen to the house in breathtaking fashion, Russell connected with Edwards for another score, and heading into the break, a 21-6 Seminole lead with 2:43 to go turned into a 26-21 scoreline at the half, advantage Tide. Maybe it really was that second delay (it wasn't, the collapse began before that occurred).

After the first half, I gathered my thoughts and notes to create a list of my 5 stars of the first half:

  1. Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama (FANTASTIC processing, decision making, composure and escapability, and the numbers throughout back that up).
  2. Lightning delay (both for opposite reasons).
  3. FSU DL/pursuit first 1.5q, Bama defensive domination post 2nd delay.
  4. Lotzeir Brooks, WR, Alabama (8-101-0) if I added correctly.
  5. Duce Robinson, WR, FSU (3-64-1) if I added correctly.

The second half, from my vantage point, looked like more of the same. Florida State hung on for a while, granted, and even took the lead back 28-26 for about 4 game minutes, but it seemed like everyone in the stadium knew that the Tide were coming, and they weren't going to let up. Spoiler alert: they didn't. For a minute, FSU seemed to return to that balance of the running game setting up the big game deep play action passes. The risks of this style of playcalling and decision making, which showed up on the stat sheet with Daniels' 3 picks, were also fruitful, but it didn't last long. The running game sputtered, Bama brought the pressure, and it worked, despite lapses in coverage in their secondary. FSU seemed to panic in the third, whereas Bama's offense was simply unstoppable. I was AMAZED at Keelon Russell's performance. I can and will harp on that, because a redshirt freshman looking so good just isn't all that common in the modern college football landscape.

Florida State brought life back to the game in the mid fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 43-36 at the 7:27 mark with a nice rush to start the drive, a couple of deep balls and a Daniels scramble for a touchdown, but, again, the Crimson Tide ROLLED over the Seminole D. There was no hope for FSU at that pace after they went down. If your defense can't stop a nosebleed, the game's as good as over. Alabama, from the drive that cut FSU's lead to 21-13 in the late 2nd until their last score just before the 2 minute warning in the 4th, went on a streak of 7 straight scoring drives, with six of those ending with the ball in the end zone. That's simply an impossible pace to keep up with. Now, going back a bit to when it was 40-28 in the early 4th, Florida State was gifted a lifeline after a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt, but then failed to convert on a 4th and 2 from Alabama's 36. THAT was the true nail in the coffin.

At the end of the day, yeah, that lightning delay may have had a LITTLE something to do with the change in direction of the game. I mean, the Seminole defense was wreaking havoc on Bama's line beforehand, and after play resumed, the script flipped. However, Bama held on to the ball, even when under pressure, whereas Florida State turned it over time and time again. Being a -3 in the turnover battle almost guarantees a loss, and it certainly did in this case. Mike Norvell may have sealed his fate, at least in the Seminole fans in my section's eyes, and Kalen DeBoer may have given himself another chance. Keelon Russell was absolutely phenomenal, going 23-30 for 320 through the air and 56 on the ground, 3 passing touchdowns and one on the ground, all while only taking one sack, the running game came alive, Bama's pass catchers caught the ball, the o-line shored up in the second half, and the defense, despite some massive lapses in coverage, came alive enough to really rattle Ashton Daniels and the Nole offense.

What We Learned

  1. Keelon Russell is a legitimate Heisman contender and a really enticing draft prospect in the next couple of years.
  2. Alabama's offense has offensive line concerns, as the fans themselves consistently mentioned, but their offense can keep up with any team in the country.
  3. Florida State thrives when the run game sets up the deep ball.
  4. Ashton Daniels can hoop, but his decision making under pressure is shaky at best and his choices when the first read isn't open can be concerning. Big game hunting kept them in the game to a degree, but it also ended up costing them the game in key situations.
  5. Mike Norvell's seat just keeps getting hotter. There are some kinks to work out, but there's also a lot of potential in this Florida State team. Question is, is he the coach to maximize it?

3 Stars of the Game

  1. Keelon Russell. Simply spectacular.
  2. Bama's DL post 21-6.
  3. Alabama's offensive cohesion, and, if we MUST get more specific, Lotzeir Brooks. 5'9" and 197lbs, but plays much larger than his frame suggests. Certified baller.