Wisconsin football’s Week 3 opponent lost its first season-opener since 2001 on Saturday afternoon.
Pitted against the unranked Florida State Seminoles, the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide fell 31-17 in a stunner at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. The defeat marks Alabama’s first opening loss since the UCLA Bruins defeated the Crimson Tide back in 2001.
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After orchestrating a 17-play, 75-yard scoring drive to open the contest, Alabama allowed Florida State to score 24 unanswered points to pull ahead 24-7 with nearly 10 minutes to spare in the third quarter. Alabama and redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson did cut the deficit to 24-17 with 11 minutes to spare, but Mike Norvell’s crew put together a 75-yard scoring drive en route to a 31-17 win.
Florida State’s fans stormed the field following the upset win. The result places Alabama in a compromising position for the rest of the 2025 slate. With tests against No. 5 Georgia, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 24 Tennessee, No. 9 LSU and No. 18 Oklahoma on the horizon, the Crimson Tide will likely need to avoid a three-loss season to remain in contention for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Most notably, Alabama and head coach Kalen DeBoer will welcome the Badgers to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13. With first-year starter Ty Simpson under center, the spotlight on the Crimson Tide is as magnified as possible.
With Jalen Milroe behind center in 2024, the Crimson Tide defeated the Badgers 42-10 at Camp Randall Stadium. This year, Alabama’s offense revolves around first-year starting quarterback Simpson.
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After sitting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe for the past two seasons, Simpson fared well with 23 completions for 254 yards and a pair of passing scores against the Seminoles. He led three drives of at least 50 yards on Saturday, but Alabama either punted or turned it over on downs in five offensive sequences.
With Alabama essentially tasked with a must-win against UW in Week 3, Simpson will look to guide the Crimson Tide to their second win over UW in as many seasons.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football 2025 schedule Alabama Week 1 loss to Florida State
