Booger McFarland reacts to Alabama loss: 'It's never a bad day when your rival gets their teeth kicked in'

The Tide was not ready to Roll in Tallahassee, according to Booger McFarland. The former LSU defensive tackle and ESPN analyst appeared just as surprised as anyone to see Alabama fall 31-17 to Florida State during Week 1.

McFarland has been a critic of the Crimson Tide over the years, and some of that hatred likely stems from his playing days. It’s clear there was no love lost between McFarland and Alabama in his review of the matchup.

“It’s never a bad day when your rival gets their teeth kicked in,” McFarland said during an appearance on Pardon My Take. “… The most surprising thing, they didn’t play with a lot of effort. They almost reminded me of guys that weren’t in shape, like they were loafing, didn’t run to the ball. I mean, it was like they just didn’t care.

“And now I know that’s not the case, but it seemed to me, the thing that made Alabama really good, which was the attention to detail, the effort. They didn’t have (it), and so beyond the fact that your rival lost. Like, I’m concerned if I’m Kalen DeBoer because if you’re not putting forth the effort, that means I’m not connecting with you as a coach to get you to play hard.”

After Florida State’s 2-10 finish to the 2024 season and Alabama’s top-10 preseason ranking, picking the Crimson Tide was almost academic. However, Alabama struggled to stop the Seminoles’ offense defensively during the 31-17 loss. The Crimson Tide dropped from No. 8 down to No. 21 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

Florida State went on to total 400 yards of total offense behind new quarterback Tommy Castellanos. He was the team’s leading rusher and was responsible for 230 of Florida State’s 388 yards of offense, much to the dismay of the Crimson Tide fanbase.

“A lot of people that went to Alabama, they claim Alabama. And you’ve got to give Alabama some props under Nick Saban. They were the preeminent program in America — they were dominant. And I think everybody — it’s like the Kansas City Chiefs. When you win so much, everybody wants to see you get beat. It’s not different with Alabama.”

Alabama will look to put the loss behind them in Week 2 against UL Monroe. The Crimson Tide will finish its non-conference slate against Wisconsin the following week before being idle in Week 3 ahead of the Sept. 27 clash against Georgia on the road. Alabama will also play Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and Oklahoma down the stretch.