Phil Steele picks Alabama-FSU winner, says Seminoles can ‘stand toe-to-toe’ with Tide

Alabama and Florida State are set to kick off their seasons with a match-up in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic from Atlanta Saturday evening.

The opening game is highly anticipated as the Crimson Tide and Seminoles open the season as No. 1 and No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25. poll. Both teams are returning their starting QB and feature talented play makers all over the field.

ESPN Insider Phil Steele announced who he believes will take the contest on WJOX’s Opening Drive radio show Wednesday morning:

.@philsteele042: "Florida State's the one team in the country that can stand toe-to-toe with Alabama. Like Tide by about a field goal."

— The Jay Barker Show (@Jaybarkershow) August 30, 2017

Fans are certainly anticipating a tightly-contested game, and it could very well be decided on the game’s final possession. Either way, Saturday will be a good indicator of where both teams are at and will give one team a leg up in the race to the College Football Playoff.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.