FSU Football: Alabama Likely to Be Highest Ranked Foe in an Opener

The polls are a couple weeks away from being released, but mass speculation is that the opener in Atlanta between Florida State and Alabama will be a match-up of top 5 teams. Some have even guessed that it could be a contest of No. 1 vs. No. 2.

For the big showdown in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the storylines are aplenty. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher won a national championship together at LSU in 2003. Fisher was Saban’s offensive coordinator at the time, so this will be a case of teacher vs. student.

Since 2010 when Fisher was promoted from FSU offensive coordinator to head coach, the Seminoles and Crimson Tide are the only two schools to finish in the final AP rankings every year. During that span however, the teams have not met on the field although they came really close.

Had it not been for the infamous “Kick 6” at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2013, many believe it would have been Alabama and not Auburn that played Florida State for the 2013 title — a contest that the Seminoles rallied to win, 34-31. The following year, both teams lost in the first College Football Playoff, one game shy of meeting one another.

The teams have not met on the field since playing in Jacksonville in 2007. That was Fisher’s first year as FSU offensive coordinator and Saban’s first as Alabama head coach. The Seminoles won 21-14 in a contest that was later vacated during a season — vacated wins ignored for both teams — where both schools finished 7-6 and unranked.

Barring a mass protest from the AP voters, the Sept. 2 showdown will be the 10th time that Florida State opens with a ranked opponent. Given that Alabama has not started lower than third in any season since 2009 and not lower than fifth in any season since 2008, the Crimson Tide will probably be the highest ranked opponent that FSU has ever opened the season against.

Here’s a look at the previous nine openers against ranked teams:

Historically speaking, the Seminoles have not faced a team ranked higher than fifth and that was against Miami in 2004 — a contest the Hurricanes won in overtime, 16-10. Four of the previous nine meetings that fit the criteria came against Miami.

For anyone putting stock into historical numbers, Florida State is 3-0 on neutral fields against ranked opponents and 2-0 against current teams from the SEC West, although Texas A&M was a Big 12 member in 1998.

Under Fisher, the Seminoles are a perfect 7-0 in season-openers. Under Saban, the Crimson Tide are 10-0 in openers, including 7-0 in neutral site openers. In those contests, the average margin of victory has been nearly 23 points with five coming against ranked teams and three against top-10 teams.

With Saban at the helm, Alabama has been no stranger to the grand stage and typically very well-prepared in openers. Knocking off the Crimson Tide in Atlanta will be a tall task, but as a head coach, no one doubts Fisher’s ability any more. Against SEC opponents, Fisher is 9-1 as a head coach, but Alabama has been without a doubt, the class of the league and of college football over the last decade.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson