Alabama will face off against Florida State tonight in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at 8:00 pm ET, and it’s being labeled as the greatest opening game in college football history.
Here are three key storylines to look for in tonight’s match up.
1. Nick Saban vs. Jimbo Fisher
Saban is considered the best coach in college football, and Fisher isn’t far behind. The two will face off for the first time since Fisher became the head coach of the Florida State Seminoles following the 2009 season.
While this will be Saban’s first time going against Fisher, he’s still seen plenty of action against other former assistant coaches — including Derek Dooley, Jim McElwain, Will Muschamp and Mark Dantonio. Saban is 10-0 in those games, with a 29.9 average margin of victory.
As impressive as that is, this will be Saban’s toughest test up to this point. The game tonight will feature the No. 1 Crimson Tide versus the No. 3 Seminoles, and the ‘Noles aren’t short on talent.
2. The development of Jalen Hurts
Despite finishing as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Hurts faced a lot of criticism when he faltered down the stretch last season.
After averaging 204.5 yards passing and 1.75 touchdown passes per game in the regular season, Hurts numbers took a significant dip once postseason play began. The then freshman quarterback only managed 108.7 passing yards and 0.67 passing touchdowns during that time.
The slump was tough to watch, but the belief is that Hurts has put those struggles behind him. He’s shown significant improvement during the offseason in his ability to see the field and deliver an accurate, catchable football.
3. The NFL talent for both teams
This game won’t see a shortage of future NFL talent. Between the two teams, 6 players found themselves listed on Matt Miller’s (Bleacher Report) top 25 big board.
– Derwin James, S (No. 8)
– Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (No. 10)
– Tarvarus McFadden, CB (No. 12)
– Ronnie Harrison, S (No. 14)
– Calvin Ridley, WR (No. 22)
– Anthony Averett, CB (No. 25)
As you can see, five of the six players are defensive backs. With that kind of talent, moving the ball through the air could prove to be difficult for both teams.
Clint Lamb is an associate editor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
