Texas Can Find Hope In Ohio State Aftermath, While Alabama Faces Crisis After Florida State Upset. Who's Next?

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Even though you might hear folks preaching that you shouldn’t hitch your wagon to the season-opening weekend of college football, I would imagine fans of Alabama and Texas are singing different tunes after losses on Saturday. 

"Last year isn't this year. It's going to be an uphill climb for us," Kalen DeBoer said following the loss to Florida State. 

It sounds like the Alabama coach was summarizing the past 12 months for his team, and the Seminoles, with just one quote. The problem for him is that this could turn into a very long season for his football team if he doesn’t right the ship in a short period of time. 

Oh, and we aren’t talking about the $60 million buyout DeBoer would be owed if Alabama were to make a decision to fire him after the 2025 season. Having the school pay that type of money in this era of college athletics to restart the football program is not something the folks in Tuscaloosa are thinking about at the moment. 

And why would they? It's only one game, right? 

No, the embarrassing loss to Florida State runs much deeper than what transpired in Tallahassee. Kalen Deboer has a Nick Saban problem, and he obviously knows it. You know the old saying that it's better to follow the guy who followed the legend? That phrase is certainly ringing true right now, even though it was just one loss to open the 2025 season. 

When you start to put together the type of losses Alabama has suffered over the past two years, it obviously starts to add up. Losing at Vanderbilt. Dropping a late-season game against Oklahoma that sealed its fate with regard to the college football playoff. Then, capping it off with a loss to Michigan in the bowl game. 

Those are the things that are not supposed to happen in Tusacaloosa. Then, opening the 2025 campaign with a thrashing by the Seminoles, who rushed for 230 yards against what was supposed to be a revamped defense. These examples are the reason why folks in Tuscaloosa keep bringing up Nick Saban, because those types of losses did not occur, and were certainly not accepted. 

Right now, this is why the losses that Texas and Alabama suffered on Saturday were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. One team still looks like a playoff-caliber squad that still has hope, while the other looks like a team that could go in the wrong direction, quickly. 

Notre Dame, Miami Game Has Same Feel As Texas Versus Ohio State

When we look at Sunday's matchup between the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish, I can't help but feel the same way as I did after the Texas loss on Saturday. 

No matter what happens, outside a lopsided loss by either Miami or Notre Dame, both of these squads will still have the feel of a team that should be fighting for a college football playoff spot later in the season. 

This is another example of why Alabama's loss was so deflating on multiple levels. Sure, we all looked at Florida State and saw a team that went 2-10 last season, wondering if Mike Norvell was going to be able to turn the ship around after a disastrous 2024. 

One of the glaring problems with these preseason polls is that it puts expectations on teams that we still have plenty of questions about. Was Texas deserving of the No.1 spot in the AP poll? I'd say so, in the same way I agreed that Ohio State was the third-best team in college football entering 2025. 

But, we obviously don't think the same about Alabama right now, especially with the Tide being ranked 8th in the polls entering this weekend, then getting pulverized by the Seminoles. There are obviously layers to these losses, and the nervousness that follows is warranted for fans of Alabama, compared to a team like Texas, or Miami and Notre Dame. 

There's A Big Difference In The Losses That Texas And Alabama Suffered. Obviously 

Yes, the Longhorns lost to the No. 3 ranked team in the country. But at the same time, it felt as though they figured a few things out in the second half that should propel them throughout the 2025 season. Arch Manning looked like a different quarterback in the second half, while the Longhorns' defense lived up to the hype, no matter how many times Carnell Tate pulled in impressive grabs from Julian Sayin. 

"I’d say, let’s finish the book before we judge it," Steve Sarkisian said postgame. "This is one chapter. We’ve got a long season to go play."

He's right, including his assessment of Arch Manning, who clearly looked uncomfortable in the first half against the Buckeyes. 

"I thought Arch’s poise and composure was really good in this game," Sarkisian said. "I didn’t feel like he got rattled. I think I learned about him a little bit playing that I’ve got to let him go play. That’ll help us, but he’s going to be a really good leader."

There were also the fourth-down conversions that bit the Longhorns, especially inside the Ohio State 3-yard line in the first half. But, Texas doesn't look like a team that is going to allow one loss to turn into two, or three. This feels like a squad that will learn its lesson, and then take it out on San Jose State next week, as it prepares for SEC play to start later in the month. 

I can't say the same about Alabama after suffering a season-opening loss, and that should concern fans. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Kalen DeBoer will turn this loss into motivation, especially with quarterback Ty Simpson. 

But, there were glaring problems with Alabama that will lead to plenty of nervousness over the next month, or longer. Having Louisiana-Monroe and Wisconsin coming up next on the schedule should help, though there is an entire fanbase already looking ahead to what could transpire against Georgia in three weeks. 

Sure, Alabama can still make the college football playoff. But do you honestly believe that after what you witnessed on Saturday? Right now, this football program has an identity crisis. It is still trying to figure out what life looks like without Nick Saban in charge. After beating Georgia last September, Alabama is 4-5 against FBS teams. 

Add that stat to the aftermath of Saturday's loss to Florida State, and you've got yourself a fan base in full panic mode. 

So, remember when I was preaching this past week about not judging teams too harshly following a week one loss? 

Forget that, at least in Alabama's case. Texas will be fine, and so will either Notre Dame or Miami.