No. 1 Alabama
The Alabama game is the most important game on the schedule for several reasons. It'll be the first opportunity FSU will have to make since the disastrous 2024 season.
It'll be the first home game in the newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.
It'll be against a marquee opponent from the SEC, the Alabama Crimson Tide. FSU is an 11-point betting underdog and isn't expected to win, and they don't have to win the game.
However, they can't get blown out. If that happens, whatever fan support FSU has left will evaporate, and the calls for Mike Norvell's head will get a head start. Recruits they've been working on won't reciprocate interest afterward, and whoever they have committed will probably look to jump ship.
IF FSU can pull off the upset or keep it close, It'll have the opposite reaction. It'll give FSU fans hope, and the message they've been preaching to recruits will continue to have merit.
It increases the chances of getting fans to return for the next two home games, which helps local businesses in Tallahassee. It could also mean they'll exceed expectations against the lesser opponents on the schedule and potentially win eight or more games.