Alabama fans breathing sigh of relief knowing they won't face Gus Malzahn in 2026

Some fans in the Florida State fanbase are happy that Gus Malzahn will not be the offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. They felt the offense was too one-dimensional or relied on trick plays a little too much. Frankly, the offense was fine when executed and caused headaches for opposing defensive coordinators.

There’s one team that seemed to feel the wrath of Gus Malzahn more than any other top-tier program, and that’s the Alabama Crimson Tide. Malzahn defeated Nick Saban and Alabama more times than most, but that magic didn’t end when Malzahn left Auburn.

It continued in 2025 when Florida State opened the season against Alabama and promptly handed them a huge upset defeat in front of a raucous Doak Campbell Stadium crowd. That game was the high-water mark for an FSU team that finished the season 5-7.

Alabama likely had the Florida State game circled for revenge on September 19th. However, they look to be taking a big sigh of relief that they won’t have to face Gus Malzahn’s offense in 2026:

Gus Malzahn had Alabama’s offense in a blender to start the 2025 season. FSU scored 31 points and averaged over six yards per play, with only 14 pass attempts. FSU had 230 rushing yards and bullied Alabama on the ground. This touchdown run by Gavin Sawchuck midway through the fourth quarter to put the game away for good was the epitome of what they did to Alabama for much of the game:

FSU will have a new quarterback, offensive line, no Gavin Sawchuk, and Mike Norvell will be calling the plays in 2026. It'll be a totally different FSU team, just as Alabama will have a lot of new faces. Alabama probably felt some confidence about the FSU game after seeing the rest of 2025 unfold, but this bit of news probably gives them a tad more.