{"id":283083,"date":"2026-05-24T22:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T22:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/283083\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T22:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T22:17:09","slug":"fsu-alabama-named-one-of-college-footballs-best-games-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/283083\/","title":{"rendered":"FSU-Alabama named one of college football’s best games of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

With 100 days until the kickoff of the 2026 college football season, CBS Sports college football analyst Chip Patterson has placed the Florida State Seminoles<\/a> squarely in the middle of the sport’s most compelling early-season storylines.<\/p>\n

In his annual 100 Days Out preview piece<\/a>, Patterson listed the game between the Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide<\/a> on Sept. 12 as one of the eight best non-conference games of the 2026 college football season \u2014 placing the Seminoles in elite company alongside Ohio State<\/a> at Texas<\/a>, Oklahoma<\/a> at Michigan<\/a>, Clemson at LSU, and a November showdown between Miami and Notre Dame that Patterson called “the much-anticipated rematch.”<\/p>\n

The recognition arrives at a pivotal moment for a Florida State program still working to reestablish its national footing. Patterson framed the Seminoles’ broader situation as one of the sport’s most pressing burning questions, asking directly: “After Miami’s success, how long will it take Florida State and Clemson to bounce back?”<\/p>\n

He described the Seminoles’ predicament as difficult to assess, writing: “The highs and lows of the last three years have been dizzying for the Seminoles, and right now it’s tough to tell if this is a program that’s just a half-step away from returning to greatness (which is how it looked in the wake of beating Alabama<\/a> and last season’s strong start) or a distressed asset in need of total overhaul.”<\/p>\n

The Sept. 12th matchup in Tuscaloosa is loaded with historical context. FSU famously defeated Alabama 31-17 in the 2025 season opener to open the year 3-0 before sputtering into a four-game losing streak that defined a 5-7 collapse. A return engagement in Bryant-Denny Stadium, one of college football’s most hostile environments, represents an immediate statement-game opportunity for Norvell’s program in 2026.<\/p>\n

The Seminoles’ 2026 trajectory may well be defined in part by what happens on that September afternoon in Tuscaloosa, where a program looking to reclaim its identity will face one of college football’s most storied programs in one of its most storied venues.<\/p>\n

Follow us\u00a0@FSUWire<\/a>\u00a0on X and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of\u00a0Florida State<\/a>\u00a0news, notes, and opinions.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: CBS Sports names FSU at Alabama one of the best non-conference games<\/a><\/p>\n