SEC Championship: Alabama vs Florida

[wayne1218]

Pick the Best Bet

[vols fan]

My Vols have a great defense and a great RB like Alabama.We should have beat Alabama and thanks to a Tebow fumble against us to go up 24 we recoverd and scored and lost by 10 I think to FLA. Fla dominated us and Alabama didn't.IMO Fla wins by double digits

[mavskidd02]

My Vols have a great defense and a great RB like Alabama.We should have beat Alabama and thanks to a Tebow fumble against us to go up 24 we recoverd and scored and lost by 10 I think to FLA. Fla dominated us and Alabama didn't.IMO Fla wins by double digits

Florida snuck past Arkansas. Bama trounced Arkansas.

[st bobby]

I absolutely love Bama plus the points. I believe they win straight up. According to what I studied Bama by 1.

[10DimeBry]

i like bama here. not going to be a big play but i will be on them

[ravenmaniac]

Roll Tide Roll. Bama by a FG

[Meekmeister]

Haven't got shit done at work this week....

Saban is 13-3 in "revenge" games....

After Rocky block and the drive vs Auburn..I think we find a way to win Sat.

Bama 20-17


RTR
Meek

[grandmama]

Haven't got shit done at work this week....

Saban is 13-3 in "revenge" games....

After Rocky block and the drive vs Auburn..I think we find a way to win Sat.

Bama 20-17


RTR
Meek

I'm leaving 2nite....Gators losing Murphy and Harvin hurts them....

[umreb78]

I HATE Bama, but the fact is

I think this year's version has the best defense I've ever seen in CFB....if they come to play. They did against us (Ole Miss) and it was like they had 14 guys on the defensive side all day long. Think Bama wins it in a close one, but I think THE play is the Under....Will be fun to watch.

[wayne1218]

Florida offense vs. Alabama defense
• Florida's success on third down played a key role in its victory over Alabama in last season's SEC title game. The Gators converted seven of 12 opportunities, all 12 of which were put in QB Tim Tebow's hands. Of the seven conversions, four were completed passes and three were Tebow runs. Expect a similar game plan on third down and in the red zone this season. There were two types of plays that gave Alabama trouble a year ago. The first was the shotgun speed-option, in which Tebow takes the snap and immediately heads off-tackle directly at the contain man then chooses to keep the ball or pitch outside to the running back, depending on what the defenders do. The second was Florida's quick-hitting passing plays out of its shotgun, five-receiver set. In fact, all three of Tebow's touchdown passes last season came inside the Tide's 10-yard line out of that look with Tebow simply targeting the most favorable one-on-one matchup and getting the ball out in a hurry.

• TE Aaron Hernandez is emerging as one of college football's most versatile weapons. In addition to his outstanding hands and run-after-catch ability in the passing game, Hernandez has become an integral part of Florida's option attack. The Gators are utilizing his athleticism by running more triple-option attacks, speed-option described above but with Hernandez acting as a third option on the inside shuffle pass. The addition of Hernandez in the option game puts enormous pressure on the opposing defense because it can't get enough defenders in the right place at the right time without leaving themselves exposed in another area of the field.

If Alabama tries to cheat a linebacker over when Hernandez goes in motion, Florida will strike to the backside with misdirection. The only way to limit the damage is to play honest and execute. Florida's offensive line does a great job on these plays with the play-side tackle blocking down on the defensive tackle to create an inside seam and the guard releasing to the second level to seal off the middle linebacker. Against a base defensive package, the weakside linebacker will have the pitch man and the defensive end will have Tebow, so for Alabama to stop this play it will often come down to ILB Rolando McClain's ability to shed the block of the guard and close quickly on Hernandez once he gets the pitch.

• Speaking of McClain, Alabama cannot afford for its defensive star to make as many costly mistakes as he did last week against Auburn. McClain is typically the first Tide defender to diagnose a play, but he got caught peeking into the Tigers' backfield on multiple occasions last week. The worst offense came on Auburn's opening touchdown, a reverse that went for 67 yards after McClain took four false steps before realizing WR Terrell Zachery had the ball. He then compounded the mistake with terrible effort while pretending to chase the play down from behind. McClain's ability to diagnose quickly and make plays in pursuit will be critical against a Florida offense that features a great deal of misdirection and play-fakes.

Key individual matchup

Alabama WR Julio Jones
vs.
Florida CB Joe Haden

This might be the best perimeter matchup of the season and it's difficult to imagine Alabama winning without a big performance from Jones. The Gators are going to cheat a safety up near the line as often as possible to take away the running game, but that will put their defensive backs in a challenging position. Florida's cornerbacks will often be asked to hold up in one-on-one coverage with possibly only a free safety over the top to provide some deep help on the inside. However, Haden might be the only corner in the country with the skill set to contain Jones. Haden gives up some size (5-foot-11 to Jones' 6-4) but won't back down from a physical challenge. Haden also has the fluid hips, instincts and necessary closing burst to hold up on an island against one of college football's premier receivers. If Haden can take Jones out of his comfort zone and limit his production, it's hard to see Alabama coming out on top.

Alabama offense vs. Florida defense
• Protecting QB Greg McElroy against Florida's fast defensive front will be challenging for a Crimson Tide offensive line that comes up short in terms of athleticism. Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong added to the problem last year by getting ILB Brandon Spikes more involved than usual as a perimeter pass-rusher. Spikes lined up alongside talented defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham -- or sometimes on the opposite side when Dunlap and Cunningham were stacked next to each other -- and Strong then ran a lot of twists and stunts out of those looks. For example, Spikes rushed off the edge from the left side opposite Cunningham and Dunlap, who were stacked next to one another on the right side. On the snap of the ball, Dunlap shot outside and Cunningham twisted back inside, where he had a free lane to QB John Parker Wilson because of an assignment breakdown along the Alabama offensive line. The Crimson Tide offensive line is not as good in pass protection this year, so it will require a creative game plan and nearly flawless execution to avoid a meltdown.

• One way to nullify Florida's speed advantage up front is to feature the short passing attack, which was effective for the Crimson Tide during their game-winning drive at Auburn. WR Julio Jones is clearly healthy now, and he shows enough burst off the line of scrimmage to drive defensive backs off of him. Instead of working the intermediate and deep zones so much, Alabama should learn from the success it had on that drive and continue to work the ball to Jones on a lot of crossing routes, slants and quick out routes.

• RB Trent Richardson is obviously a talented young back and his combination of size and burst is outstanding. In fact, he shows a better second gear in daylight than Mark Ingram. However, there are a few reasons why Alabama needs a healthy and productive Ingram if it's going to upset the Gators. First off, Ingram is a more patient runner and he gains a lot more yards after contact than Richardson at this point. Against a fast, somewhat-undersized and occasionally undisciplined Florida defense, those skill sets could give the Tide a big edge on the ground. Secondly, Richardson is not nearly as effective in the passing game. Sure, the youngster came up big on the 17-yard screen pass versus Auburn, but Ingram is a far more fluid and reliable pass-catcher at this stage in his career and there's no doubt that Ingram is the superior blocker, which is a much-needed skill versus Florida's ferocious pass rush.

Scouts' Edge

Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are two of the nation's elite coaches and they'll have their respective teams motivated and prepared to play on Saturday. There isn't a defense in the country better than the two units that will take the field in the Georgia Dome on Saturday. Both teams are blessed with game-breakers, as well. Alabama has Jones on the perimeter, Ingram in the backfield and Javier Arenas in the return game. Florida has Hernandez at tight end, Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey in the backfield and Brandon James returning kicks.

So what will be the difference when these SEC heavyweights do battle? The answer is obvious: the quarterback position. McElroy is improved and he enters this contest with confidence after leading Alabama on an epic game-winning drive in the Iron Bowl. But he's not Tebow. When Florida needs to convert on third or fourth down, it can count on Tebow to deliver. When Florida gets into the red zone and needs to get more physical, it can count on Tebow to deliver. And if Florida needs a big play late to put the Crimson Tide away, you guessed it -- it can count on Tebow to deliver.


Prediction: Gators 27, Crimson Tide 24

[vols fan]

Florida 27-14

[10DimeBry]

20-17 alabama

[jcheckers]

Would love to see Bama win on a last second FG,
then see a crying Tebow interviewed after the game!!