How to watch Alabama vs. Florida State online

Sophomore free safety Derwin James is healthy after playing just two games last season due to a knee injury, but senior linebacker Matthew Thomas (77 tackles) is in jeopardy of missing the game after not practicing the past three weeks. The first is to continue to deliver the most deeply insightful, uncannily accurate predictions available anywhere online or in print.

OK, we are definitely getting way ahead of ourselves in week one.

How the Game Plays out? He’s 6’5, 225 and will be big time for FSU in this game and the season. It better have, or Francois will be running for his life against Alabama’s dominant and punishing front seven. He’s already on the Davey O’Brien and Manning Award watch lists, and his name will be tossed around as an early Heisman frontrunner if he shines in a win against No. 1 Alabama.

Without question, Florida State versus Alabama in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic is the top game of the weekend.

Since the first preseason poll in 1950, there have only been 11 occasions where the No. 1 team faced a ranked opponent in the season opener for both. The Crimson Tide had to replace three first-round National Football League draft picks on defense, including DE Jonathan Allen. Quarterback Jalen Hurts returns under center after a strong freshman campaign.

“We’re going to dominate”, said Lynn Trull of Gordo, Ala. But as Hurts and his FSU counterpart Francois get comfortable, the points are going to pile up.

Withdrawing the majority of the key defenders from one year before, the Seminoles must have among the country’s best defenses in 2017.

If Hurts is able to find success in the passing game, FSU’s chances take a major hit.

No. 16 Louisville (-24 1/2) vs. Purdue at Indianapolis – Jeff Brohm’s first game at Purdue is against Heisman victor Lamar Jackson. Of course, many would argue the league’s best at that position was Clemson’s Watson.

Appalachian State (+14 1/2) at No. 15 Georgia – Mountaineers gave Tennessee a scare on opening weekend a year ago.

Coach Jimbo Fisher has made it a habit of beating SEC competition as he owns a 9-1 record over the SEC. Becoming a true dual threat will make Francois an intriguing National Football League prospect – and the Seminoles the favorite in the ACC whether or not they win this game. Maybe Tide-‘Noles will turn out to be this season’s Texas-Notre Dame.

The most entertaining part of the run-up to No. 17 Florida vs. The ESPN3 network will also provide a Florida State vs. Alabama postgame show, beginning at 11:30 p.m. FSU is undefeated against the SEC since 2013, winning games against Auburn, Florida, and the Seminoles’ 2016 opening opponent in Ole Miss. For Michigan to bust that streak, defensive coordinator Don Brown will have to throw a lot of nasty at very big redshirt freshman quarterback Feleipe Franks and hope a bunch of it sticks.

Don’t be surprised if Coastal Carolina comes into the Sun Belt and immediately starts contending for a title just as Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have in recent years. MI is a very public team, which explains the spread, because they are also one of the most inexperienced teams in the country. If Blough is out, forget about it. Michigan, in the third year of the Jim Harbaugh era, is looking to take a step forward and make the College Football Playoff.

If there’s one betting pattern I live by it’s betting on Alabama when it’s a big game, especially a huge season opener, and bet against the Tide when they are at home to teams from non-Power 5 conferences. Four-point-favorite Hokies in overtime. In 1974, the Trojans lost 22-7 at No. 20 Arkansas. Huskers struggle some, but it’s nothing a couple of tack-on scores won’t fix. Two have been postponed – Richmond vs. Sam Houston State (in a marquee FCS battle) and Houston vs. UT-San Antonio – while LSU vs. BYU goes Saturday night in New Orleans instead of in Houston …