[Stoney]

Alabama fans are headed to Atlanta for a well deserved game the SEC Championship. This will decide the National Championship.

[BamaGal4ever]

ALABAMA stalks bigger game against Florida in SEC title contest

No. 1 Tide to play No. 2 Florida for SEC championship, spot in national-title game
Sunday, November 30, 2008 By MIKE HERNDON
Sports Reporter

TUSCALOOSA - When it was over, Julio Jones walked off the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium like it was any other practice.
And in a way, Alabama's 36-0 spanking of Auburn on Saturday was just that. Yes, it put a long-awaited end to a six-game Tigers winning streak in the series. And yes, it finished off a perfect 12-0 regular season and protected a No. 1 national ranking.
But make no mistake the big one is next weekend. And maybe again on Jan. 8.
With the ghosts of the past six Iron Bowls finally laid to rest, the Crimson Tide now turns its attention to its biggest test of the season so far a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Atlanta against 11-1 Florida, which whipped Florida State 45-15 Saturday and heads into the SEC Championship Game with a full head of steam.
A victory over the Gators would send top-ranked Alabama into the BCS championship game on Jan. 8 in Miami, where it could win its first national title since 1992.
So the Crimson Tide won't be spending a whole lot of time celebrating the Iron Bowl romp.
"We haven't really accomplished anything," Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "To go out and lose the next game or next two, it's not going to be what we expected ourselves to do."
To avoid that scenario, here's what the Crimson Tide must deal with at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Georgia Dome:
-- Heading into the Florida State game, Florida was ranked first in the SEC in both total offense and scoring offense. The Gators' 444.6 yards per game placed them 18th in the country, while their 46.4 points per game are third in the nation.
-- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, was fifth in the nation in passing efficiency entering Saturday with a 175.2 rating. He'd completed nearly 66 percent of his passes (148 of 225) for 2,114 yards and 22 touchdowns against only two interceptions.
-- Florida's running game actually entered Saturday averaging more yards per game than Alabama 229.8 to the Crimson Tide's 198.6. The Gators do it with a committee that has speed to burn: Percy Harvin (525 yards), Chris Rainey (557 yards) and Jeff Demps (440 yards).
Alabama will counter with a defense that came into the Iron Bowl ranked third in the nation in total defense (225.6 yards per game) and sixth in scoring defense (12.5 points per game).
"I know they've got a lot of players who are really fast, but we've got a lot of speed on our defense as well," Crimson Tide safety Rashad Johnson said. "The big thing is going to be not giving up the big play, because their offense thrives off really big plays."
Alabama's offense can do its part by limiting Florida's offensive opportunities with a ball-control running game, much like the one the Crimson Tide showed off in punishing Auburn for 234 yards on the ground and an 11-minute edge in time of possession.
"It's something we do every game," Alabama offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. "We're just going to come out and try to do the same things we've been doing. ... It's worked for us for the most part and I don't see any reason why that should change next week."
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said that while the Gators have been impressive and their wide-open style is something Alabama hasn't seen a lot of this season the Crimson Tide will stay with what has brought it this far.
"I always think we are who we are," he said. "They're going to have to match our style, and we're going to have to match their style as far as their speed. ... If there's something different you'd do, you would be admitting you haven't done a good job for (the players) all year."
Florida may have suffered a setback on Saturday, as Harvin left the game with a sprained ankle and did not return.
While his status for the SEC title game is uncertain, Alabama will enter the game remarkably healthy. Running back Roy Upchurch and receiver Earl Alexander, each of whom missed the Mississippi State game with injuries, both played briefly on Saturday, and nose guard Terrance Cody looked as healthy as he's been since hurting his knee against Ole Miss.
As Crimson Tide players finished their postgame interviews Saturday, some were already putting the momentous Iron Bowl victory behind them. The time for celebrating, it seemed, ended as soon as they left the field.
"I'm kind of moving on in my head right now," Alabama center Antoine Caldwell said, "getting ready."

[BamaGal4ever]

Will someone please enlighten me about something? In the article I just shared, it states Florida as being #2. Why are they using the AP ranking instead of the BCS?

I just checked the BCS poll and it has Florida as #4. (as of November 30)

I noticed that Oklahoma jumped Texas for the #2 spot. Oooooooh my! I can't wait to hear what the "experts" at ESPN have to say about that.

[Full Cougar]

one word, OVERATED! Alabama has only beaten three ranked teams!

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by Full Cougar

one word, OVERATED! Alabama has only beaten three ranked teams!

Actually, according to current rankings, alabama has only beat 1 ranked team according to the BCS rankings..#16 Georgia. In comparison, Utah has defeated 3 ranked teams and has no shot at the BCS Title with wins over #11 TCU, #18 BYU, and #19 Oregon.

[sportsRme]

That is some big font up there. lol

[BamaGal4ever]

Just tryin to make sure we don't get overlooked like we have been all season. Come to think of it, being overlooked probably worked to our advantage.

Nobody saw us comin til it was too late.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 12-0

[Stoney]

Hey desertrat...

The current rankings do not reflect the carnage Alabama has inflicted on teams as they were ranked. You want to know how bad the beatings were? 3 coaches have already lost their jobs and Tubberville will make it 4 and Urban won't be far behind at 5. Add to the fact Alabama has finished 12-0 and has the #1 defense in the country you begin to get a clearer picture of what is going on.

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Hey desertrat...

The current rankings do not reflect the carnage Alabama has inflicted on teams as they were ranked. You want to know how bad the beatings were? 3 coaches have already lost their jobs and Tubberville will make it 4 and Urban won't be far behind at 5. Add to the fact Alabama has finished 12-0 and has the #1 defense in the country you begin to get a clearer picture of what is going on.

A cupcake schedule is what is going on, it's a clear and simple fact. Good luck playing a real team this weekend and not another of the worst offenses in the nation.

All the facts you need are right here on the NCAA website:
http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natlRank.js...iv=IA&site=org

Alabama's schedule has been loaded with cupcakes and their fans ego has been fattened up. Time to go on a diet, Gators look plenty hungry!

[Stoney]

Ole Miss is a cupcake? The same Ole Miss that beat the Gators? Who is ranked #1 in all the polls? [The Crimson Tide of Alabama]

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Ole Miss is a cupcake? The same Ole Miss that beat the Gators? Who is ranked #1 in all the polls? [The Crimson Tide of Alabama]

Talk to me about that after you finally play a good team this weekend.

P.S. Ole Miss is a decent team, but still only 8-4 on the year with losses to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt on their resume.

[BamaGal4ever]

I believe you failed to mention one other thing on the Ole Miss resume, Desertrat. As Stoney pointed out in his last post......

THE REBELS BEAT THE GATORS!

A win is a win no matter if it's 1 point or 50! Rave on, darlin. No matter how the SEC Championship turns out, the fact is the Gators got their ☻☻☻☻☻ whooped!

[Robertdjr]

Talk about no respect! Alabama is unbeaten and ranked#1 and Florida is ranked #4. Yet, Florida is a 9 1/2 point favorite going into the SEC Championship Game, as of today.

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

Talk about no respect! Alabama is unbeaten and ranked#1 and Florida is ranked #4. Yet, Florida is a 9 1/2 point favorite going into the SEC Championship Game, as of today.

I called that point spread 2 days ago. I expect the Bama faithful to bring the line down to about 7 or 8 and then I will make my bet. Thanks guys!

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Hey desertrat...

The current rankings do not reflect the carnage Alabama has inflicted on teams as they were ranked. You want to know how bad the beatings were? 3 coaches have already lost their jobs and Tubberville will make it 4 and Urban won't be far behind at 5. Add to the fact Alabama has finished 12-0 and has the #1 defense in the country you begin to get a clearer picture of what is going on.

I should have responded to this the first time...your defense is not ranked #1 in the nation, USC has the #1 ranked defense in the nation by a large margin.

http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natlRank.js...ordef&site=org