00:00That battle in Tallahassee, top-ranked Alabama, eighth in the country, goes down to Florida State.
00:07They lose that matchup 31-17.
00:10Gus Malzahn and the Florida State offense were humming last Saturday.
00:14Well, you know, I said all along that the entire Florida State's entire success would depend on the ability for the quarterback,
00:22T.C., Tommy Cotellanos, and Gus Malzahn to mesh, to get together and work well together.
00:28And that's exactly what they did.
00:31Gus Malzahn's going to be successful in offense.
00:34Whatever quarterback, if they can run and be his kind of guy, Tommy Cotellanos found the right coordinator together.
00:40That was the big difference.
00:42As you watch that game, T.C., Tommy Cotellano, not only did he run the offense,
00:48he was physically tough enough to extend first downs, to make that extra yard,
00:53to just extend plays and extend downs.
00:56And that was the difference in the ballgame.
00:59I was just so surprised that Alabama was unprepared to me to stop an offense.
01:04They could have watched game after game after game on video to prepare for.
01:10Throughout the offseason, you and I had talked.
01:12It's one thing to talk the talk.
01:15Right.
01:15Thomas Cotellanos, like, we're going to be much different and much improved in 2025.
01:20But he backed it up with his play, 152 passing yards.
01:24He also rushed 16 times for 78 yards and one touchdown run.
01:29His ability to sustain drives, convert on third down, just seemed to embody what that team showed on Saturday afternoon.
01:37It wasn't just the offense, it was the defense getting after Ty Simpson and just an all-around effort by the Florida State Seminoles.
01:45Mike Norvell had his back to the wall.
01:48He got off the hot seat with that victory last Saturday.
01:51He sure did.
01:52He got an A-plus in bringing in Gus Malzahn, knowing he played Alabama.
01:56And Gus, either as a head coach or as a coordinator, calling plays, was 6-6 against Alabama.
02:01He's won half his ballgames against Alabama most of the time they have been favored.
02:06He knew what he was doing, Gus.
02:08And Gus came back in almost every special, every trick play that he's had over the years, he had them ready and hit on several big plays.
02:17It was the perfect situation to go into.
02:20And, again, my whole concern was, why didn't Alabama go back and watch everything?
02:24Because it seemed every time he had to have a special play, it hit in the game with that quarterback.
02:30So, it was a great play offensively for FSU.
02:33That inspired the defenses to shame we're not complimenting defensive coordinator Tony White because that's a different defense.
02:39They played with emotion.
02:41They played with reckless abandon.
02:42They get after the ball.
02:44You know, they gang-tackled.
02:45All those things they quit doing last year, they brought back.
02:49So, it was a great atmosphere in Tallahassee.
02:51I was in Tallahassee for the game.
02:53It was a great atmosphere on Bobby Bowden Field.
02:56And now, you just have to wonder, how far can Florida State go if that quarterback can contain?
03:03And I don't know if he has to humble himself, but just be careful.
03:06You know, he put the t-shirts out.
03:08He put the t-shirts out after the game.
03:10And I'm thinking, be careful now.
03:12Be careful.
03:13But you know what?
03:14My dad once had a player down in Tallahassee that he couldn't control.
03:17His name was Deion Sanders.
03:19And sometimes, you just got to let him go.
03:21So, you just got to let him go.
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