The Alabama Crimson Tide is going to be looking for revenge over the Florida State Seminoles this week in Bryant-Denny Stadium after being embarrassed last season in Tallahassee.

While the new era of college football has certainly changed the way rosters look from one year to another, plenty of guys on this Alabama team were around for last year’s opener and felt the wrath of the fanbase after being pushed around by the Seminoles.

Given the way the season went for FSU and the way it’s begun for them in 2026, head coach Mike Norvell is on his last legs and is in the hot seat.

When talking about the challenge he’s facing this week in Keelon Russell and the Tide, it sounds like he knows the challenge his defense will be up against in Tuscaloosa.

“Just watching two games, you see the threat. I mean, he’s a guy that can throw the football; he can make a lot of different throws,” Norvell said this week via FSU on SI. “If he gets on the edge, he brings his feet into the equation. I mean, he’s a scary football player. I say that in a very respectful way.

“You got to be able to account for him. You got to make sure that you can try to get him out of rhythm, but even when things break down, I mean, you better play with great pursuit…You better make sure that if you’re in coverage, things happen to break down, we’re gonna do a great job of sticking on very talented receivers that are out there on the edge.”

Norvell likely knows this could be it for him if the Seminoles get destroyed by Alabama, so scary is the correct word when talking about Russell.

As for the Alabama quarterback, while flashes have been shown over the first couple games, he has also displayed the fact that he has a long way to go in order to become a polished quarterback who commands a successful offense.

Perhaps Saturday afternoon against FSU can be just the start of that.