FSU vs. Alabama: Amid Bold Take on Nick Saban, Tommy Castellano Delivers Two Highlight-Reel Moments (Video)

Heading into his third season in the ACC, Boston College transfer and FSU debutante Tommy Castellano was clearly feeling himself. His team is unranked at home against the number-eight Alabama Crimson Tide, one of the bastions of college football, but that means nothing to him.

“They don’t have Nick Saban to save them,” Castellano remarked before the game. Prior to the contest, it seemed like a smug and borderline ignorant comment from an untested product, but clearly the kid knew something that the rest of us didn’t.

By the time we had reached the 9:45 mark of the third quarter, Castellano had managed to guide the Seminoles to a 24-7 lead against Saban’s juggernaut. It’s a Babe Ruth-esque performance from the ACC quarterback, who somehow managed to perfectly call his shot at netting one of, if not the biggest, upsets of Week 1.

Castellano has managed to shock both Alabama and the rest of the nation through both the air and on the ground. The 22-year-old completed nine of his 14 pass attempts for a total of 152 passing yards while carrying the ball 15 times en route to 68 rushing yards.

Considering that FSU won just two games throughout the entirety of the 2024 season, in addition to the fact that Alabama came into the contest as -13.5-point favorites, Castellano is certainly providing us with one of the greatest opening upsets in recent memory.

A 14-yard touchdown rush from Gavin Sawchuk, which gave Florida State another 14-point lead with 7:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, proved to be the nail in the coffin. From there, Alabama‘s Ty Simpson would try his best to save some face, but he failed to pick up the first down while scrambling up the middle on 4th and 10.

The rest of the game proved to be nothing more than a formality from there, as the run game of FSU was enough to churn out some first downs and kill the clock, wearing down what remained of the Tide’s defense. For the SEC, it’s an embarrassment, and for the ACC, it signifies a changing of the times.

The little-brother conference is here to compete, even when it’s not supposed to. The Carolina Tar Heels are about to hog the national spotlight with Bill Belichick, the Miami Hurricanes still have the recent success of Cam Ward, and the Clemson Tigers are currently the fourth-ranked team in the nation.

This isn’t your daddy’s ACC; this is a conference that is looking to make a name for itself in a new era of college football. Simply put, bettors and athletic directors beware, as there’s likely plenty more upsets on the way.

There’s no keeping them off the field tonight, as the scenes in Tallahassee, Florida, are about as good as it gets right now.