Kalen DeBoer's first season leading the Alabama football program had some high highs and some low lows.

The home victory over then-No. 2 Georgia and the 42-13 road thrashing of then-No. 14 LSU were impressive, Nick Saban-esque moments. The losses to unranked conference opponents Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were decidedly not.

Those slip-ups, along with a loss at Tennessee, left the Crimson Tide as the first team out of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Year 2 for DeBoer brings more expectations at Alabama, which starts the season ranked No. 8 in the AP poll. And it begins Saturday with a trip to Tallahassee, Fla., for a game at Florida State in a matchup of college football bluebloods which are in quite different positions entering the season.

FSU is coming off a 2-10 season in 2024, its

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