The 3-2-1- It’s Florida State Week for No.1 Alabama
The biggest game to open the 2017 college football season will take place this Saturday, September 2 between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State. We open the week on BamaInsider.com with our always popular 3-2-1 series, which will focus on three things we’ve learned, two questions, and one prediction.
Schedule for Monday, August 28
12:00 p.m. - Nick Saban Press Conference
*See the front page of BamaInsider.com at noon for live coverage.
12:30 p.m. - Selected players speak to media
5:00 p.m. - Monday insider report from practice
Three Things We've Learned
1. Florida State has Alabama’s attention
“I don’t think we should have to motivate our guys because I think everyone has a tremendous amount of respect for Florida State, their program, the consistency of performance that they have created in recent years of being one of the top college football programs in the Country, they certainly have an outstanding team coming back,” said Nick Saban during his last press conference.
The Seminoles are ranked No. 3 in the preseason Coaches Poll as well as in the AP Top 25 Rankings following their 10-3 season in 2016 beating Michigan in last season’s Orange Bowl Game. In total, Florida State enters the new season with 15 returning starters, nine of them from the defensive side of the football, 10 if you include Safety Derwin James, who missed a majority of the season due to an injury, but is 100% for this Saturday’s main event. On offense, the Seminoles return sophomore quarterback Deondre Francois who threw for 3,350-yards with 20-touchdowns as a freshman in 2016.
“I think it’s really important that everybody accepts the challenge of creating the identity that we want to create and doing that, I think you want to conquer challenges. When you can conquer something you know you can overcome the adversity before you ever get there because you’ve prepared the right way. You have the ability and the mental toughness to sustain in critical situations and when things don’t go your way you can bounce back and play the next play,” said Saban.
Saban’s comments echo what the players have talked about all summer long following their four-point loss to Clemson in the National Championship Game.
“We’re not letting the small things slide and that is why we lost last year. The small things we let slide added up towards the end of the season in the Championship game and we lost because of the small details. Leaders learn from that,” Said Alabama Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick during SEC Media Days.
2. New Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has gained the respect from the offense
Alabama enters the 2017 season with a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll following the departure of Lane Kiffin who is now the Head Coach at Florida Atlantic and Steven Sarkisian who took over for Kiffin, then left in February of 2017 to take a job with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2016, Alabama’s offense averaged 455-yards of total offense per game and scored 38.8 points per game, Daboll who joins the Crimson Tide after being an assistant coach for the New England Patriots clearly understands what it takes to be great.
“Brian Daboll has done a really, really good job as offensive coordinator,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said during SEC Media Days. “The players have really responded to him well. He's got a great personality. I think he's exactly what we're looking for in terms of helping us redevelop a pro-style passing attack that would go with the athleticism with some of the spread offense that we've used with Jalen (Hurts) and our other quarterbacks, which helped us tremendously, I think.”
Daboll inherits an offense that returns the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year in Quarterback Jalen Hurts who as a freshman threw for 2,780-yards and 23-touchdowns along with two very proven running backs Damien Harris who ran for 1,065-yards and Bo Scarbrough who ran for 844-yards, and at receiver Alabama returns Calvin Ridley who caught for 72 receptions for 769-yards in 2016. The offense has plenty of size up front, it’s estimated that Alabama could average 315 on the offensive line.
3. Alabama’s defensive secondary is ready to be tested
The Crimson Tide secondary is headlined by 6-foot-1, 201-pound safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who in 2016 recorded 66 tackles with seven pass breakups and six interceptions. Fitzpatrick has shown versatility this August Camp playing at corner, nickel, safety, wherever he’s needed, he’ll line up and be productive. Alabama also returns 6-foot-3, 215-pound Ronnie Harrison at the free safety position. Harrison had 86 tackles as a sophomore with seven pass breakups.
“Ronnie is a big guy. Physical guy, but is an athlete at the same time. He can come down and cover when he needs to and can come down and fill a hole when he needs to. He is a very complete defensive back,” Said Fitzpatrick when asked about Harrison.
At corner, Alabama returns Anthony Averett who as a junior recorded 48 tackles and 8 pass breakups and sophomore Trevon Diggs at 6-foot-2, 197-pounds, who converted over to a corner from receiver this spring. “I have a lot of confidence in our secondary this year. We all played last year, we all played a lot of football, so I am really confident in our secondary this year,” said Averett.
Alabama’s pass defense gave up just 198-yards per game and played a big part in the defensive front recording 54-total quarterback sacks. Florida State’s offense threw for over 300-yards five different times last year, Alabama’s defensive secondary allowed more than 300-yards passing three times.
Two Questions
1. Has Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts really progressed?
Saturday evening, all eyes will be on the second year starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had an electric freshmen season racking up over 2,700-yards passing, 954-yards rushing, with 36 touchdowns, and enters this year as a 20/1 favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Channel View, Texas native has been criticized on his deep ball passing ability all off-season and critics will be dialed into his every move against a very high caliber Florida State pass secondary.
“I think there has been a lot of improvement in his knowledge and understanding and confidence. His leadership, his presence, all those things I think have a real positive impact on the offensive team and the offensive players. I think he’s really improved as a passer,” said Saban.
2. Will the Alabama defense take a step forward or backward?
Alabama lost six defensive players that were drafted to the NFL from the 2016 season. The biggest question marks will focus on the pass rush which recorded an incredible 54 sacks in 2016 and 53 total sacks in 2015. The good news for Alabama fans is the fact that 6-foot-2, 308-pound Da’Ron Payne will anchor the trenches at defensive tackle.
Payne with a bench press over 500-pounds recorded 36 tackles last season and at the defensive end positions, the Crimson Tide will lean on 6-foot-7, 303 pound Raekwon Davis and 6-foot-4, 288-pound Da’Shawn Hand.
The two middle backers for Alabama are Rashaan Evans and Shaun Dion Hamilton who combined for 117 tackles last season and the outside pass rush could feature 6-foot-4, 240-pound Christian Miller and 6-foot-5, 253-pound Terrell Lewis.
Add this group with a loaded secondary, it’s easy to envision that Alabama’s defense returns enough talent to hold the rope of defensive excellence.
One Prediction
1. Alabama goes run game heavy against Florida State
Alabama’s ground game is likely the key to success against what appears to be one of the top defensive units in the Nation. The Crimson Tide have outstanding talent at the running back position and whichever running back Alabama feeds, whether it be 6-foot-2, 235-pound Bo Scarbrough, 5-foot-11, 221-pound Damien Harris, or 6-foot-2, 227-pound true freshman Najee Harris, stopping Alabama’s run game is going to present four quarters of speed, power, and playmaking ability.
While there are a lot of variables to a game of this magnitude, sometimes the simplest solution is to play ground and pound football with long sustaining drives that milk the clock and put points on the board.
Game Details
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Florida State
Saturday, September 2, 7 PM
TV: ABC
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The Line: -7 Alabama