Host Rece Davis speaks with Desmond Howard at left and Pat McAfee at right during the ESPN College GameDay show on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, on the Hesburgh Library lawn on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend. The show was to highlight the Notre Dame-Ohio State game. GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN's Rece Davis backs FSU football ahead of Alabama matchup

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 3:34 PM ET

Florida State is set to open Week 1 against an Alabama team looking for redemption after a 9-4 season that left fans wanting more. Both programs will try to set the tone for 2025 on August 30, with the Seminoles also aiming to rebound from a forgettable 2-10 campaign in 2024.

While many analysts and naysayers have cast doubt on the ACC, simultaneously pointing to the Seminoles' lack of success last year, ESPN's Rece Davis' opinion differs.

When asked about what we would learn on ESPN's CollegeGameday's podcast about the Week 1 showdown, Davis defended the outlook for Florida State in 2025 but noted that Alabama is "really good."

"I think we learn that the ACC is deeper than we thought," Davis said. "(I think we learn) that Florida State's season last year was a blip, an aberration, and we will also learn that Alabama is really, really good."

ESPN’s Rece Davis on what we will learn from Alabama vs FSU in Week 1:

(via @CollegeGameDay) pic.twitter.com/H3KpnCJE0J
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) July 16, 2025

Both teams will have a new face under center when the ball is snapped. Alabama is projected to start redshirt junior Ty Simpson, while Florida State will turn to Boston College transfer Thomas Castellanos to lead the offense in garnet and gold. Davis predicted that if Alabama can sustain solid quarterback play, the Tide could not only win the opener against Florida State but also contend for a national title.

"If they get good quarterback play, and I don't just mean adequate. I mean good quarterback play. If they get good quarterback play from presumably Ty Simpson or whether it is eventually Austin Mack or Keelon Russels, the freshman," Davis continued. "If they get good, high-level quarterback play, they might win the national championship. If they don't, then it is probably a season like last year with three or four losses."

The Week 1 showdown will offer no soft launch for either side in 2025, featuring two tradition-rich programs, each with new quarterbacks and something to prove. One thing is for sure: there will be a lot of eyes when the ball flies through the air on August 30 inside Doak Campbell Stadium.