Dynasty dead? College football world reacts to Alabama’s shocking loss to Florida State
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With a 31-17 loss to Florida State on the road on Saturday, No. 8 Alabama saw its 23-game winning streak in season-openers snapped.
The Crimson Tide (0-1) lost to an unranked team for the fourth time in their first 14 games under coach Kalen DeBoer — something that happened only 4 times in 17 years under Nick Saban. After losing 3 true road games and a bowl game last season, DeBoer believed his second Alabama team was prepared to make a run at an SEC title and maybe even a College Football Playoff national championship in 2025.
While 1 loss won’t dash those dreams, it doesn’t exactly inspire the fanbase.
Alabama averaged just 4.7 yards per play in the defeat. Adjusted for sacks, Florida State averaged 5 yards per rushing attempt.
Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos was a thorn in the defense’s side all afternoon. He ran for 78 yards and a touchdown while completing 9 of his 14 pass attempts for 152 yards.
Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson went 23-for-43 for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first start. But Simpson was under duress all game long. The Tide offense had a pair of 3-and-outs, 3 drives that ended with turnovers on downs, and missed a field goal. They were unable to string together consecutive scoring possessions at any point in the game.
After DeBoer got Alabama off to a 4-0 start — with the fourth win coming in resounding fashion over Georgia at home — he is just 5-5 in his 10 games since.
In the aftermath of the result, some fans on social media were questioning whether he should make it through Year 2. Others were simply claiming the dynasty that Saban built is officially dead.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
